In 2010, Detroit police officer Joseph Weekley participated in a "no knock" raid on the home 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones shared with her grandmother. Police said they were looking for a suspect wanted in a murder and a
48 Hours film crew were on hand, filming for the A&E television show, when Officer Weekley accidentally fired his weapon as they entered the house,
killing the 7-year-old as she slept on the couch with her grandmother.
After five years and two trials that resulted in two deadlocked juries and eventual mistrials, prosecutors said they were not moving forward with a third trial due to an error by a judge that prevented them from doing so.
After a 5-year absence, Officer Weekley is back on duty:
Weekley was officially restored to active duty April 2, when he was transferred from the Special Response Team to the Criminal Investigations Bureau, although he won't start work for a few weeks, Detroit Police Chief James Craig said Friday.
"He's on vacation now, but when he returns, he'll be in a limited duty capacity," Craig said. "He won't be in the field."
Although Aiyana's family did not get the criminal justice they were hoping for, they are moving forward with a wrongful death lawsuit:
The lawsuit, which seeks at least $75,000 in damages, alleges Weekley and Rowe used excessive force, violated Aiyana's civil rights and tried to cover up circumstances surrounding the shooting.