Outrage after black pre-med student playing TV games killed by white cop

A 28-year-old black woman was shot and killed by a white police officer in her own home in Fort Worth, Texas, because the officer believed she was a crook.

According to a BuzzFeed report, Atatiana Koquice Jefferson was playing video games with her eight-year-old nephew when police arrived at her home at midnight on Saturday.

After searching the house outside, one of the officers saw someone standing near a window and started shooting, the report said.

The pre-med graduate, according to CNN, died in her bedroom. Police body camera footage released from the Fort Worth Police Department was shared on Facebook.

In it, police officers can be seen searching the house outside before one approached a closed window.

In a statement the police department said it will be releasing the footage to the Tarrant County district attorney’s office, which will decide whether to prosecute the unidentified white officer, who is now placed on administrative leave pending the investigation.

“Perceiving a threat the officer drew his duty weapon and fired one shot, striking the person inside the residence,” the department said.

A neighbour, James Smith, told the Star Telegram he was "shaken, mad and upset".

“I feel it’s partly my fault. If I had never dialled the police department, she’d still be alive.”

“If you don’t feel safe with the police department, then who do you feel safe with? Do you just ignore crime or ignore something that’s not right?”