By Julia James
Dallas Morning News
Reprinted – by Texas Metro News
Timothy Jefferson, 34, was killed July 4 in the 2900 block of South Lancaster Road.
This story is part of The Dallas Morning News’ homicide project focused on sharing the stories of all people killed in Dallas in 2024.
Backlit by a sunset of oranges and pinks, Timothy Jefferson’s family and friends celebrated his 35th birthday in the parking lot of the Glendale Shopping Center in east Oak Cliff. They danced to music from car speakers, shared memories of Tim growing up and released balloons after reciting the Lord’s Prayer.
“Happy birthday, baby! Rest in heaven, baby!” his mother, Iris Jefferson, shouted as the balloons floated into the November sky.
Timothy Jefferson was fatally shot in the early hours of July 4 by Dallas officer Ruben Martinez. According to police, he was allegedly involved in the robbery of an illegal Oak Cliff game room, which Martinez was responding to when surveillance camera footage captured Jefferson jumping a fence.
As Jefferson rounded the corner of the building, the video showed he encountered Martinez in an unmarked car. Jefferson pointed an object, which police say was a gun. Martinez exited the vehicle, yelled “Get on the ground!” and identified himself as police.
Jefferson squatted and dropped the gun with his other hand raised. There appeared to be a brief struggle when, seconds later, Martinez fired multiple rounds. Police said Jefferson was reaching for a gun.
Five months after his death, it was unclear if a grand jury had taken up his case to determine if the homicide was justified.
The uncertainty, as well as the manner of Jefferson’s death, has weighed on his parents. His father, Vincent, described anxiety about leaving the house. Iris said she is afraid of the police.
Remembering Timothy Jefferson
As the sky darkened last month, Iris hugged friends and tried to focus on the son who was always cracking jokes and would sneak behind her in the kitchen to reseason her food.
Iris said her son was a natural athlete from a young age. When Jefferson played little league football, he knocked other kids down with such force that Iris said he was the reason they started keeping a paramedic on the field.
He attended South Oak Cliff High School, where he played football and ran track. Alafia Jai, who met Jefferson there, said he was exceptionally fast. Jefferson, she said, had a particular love for football and treated it as a safe place.
Jai said that while sports was his main passion, she remembers Jefferson for his ability to turn a bad day around. Whether doing a goofy dance or talking through her insecurities, he “knew how to be a light in a dark place,” she said.
Her brother was on the football team with Jefferson and the three of them got so close, she said it was like having another brother.
He had offers to play football in college, Iris said, but the day before they were supposed to take him to school, he got arrested. Jefferson was sentenced to 10 years in prison on multiple counts of aggravated robbery.
Jefferson also had a son, Tim Jr., and adopted his son’s half-sister, Cali. Iris said he cherished being a parent and wanted to give his kids everything, but struggled to find work as someone who was formerly incarcerated.
“When you mess up, felons, they don’t have any resources so it’s hard for them to get on their feet,” Iris said. “It’s pretty much set up for them to go back to prison or die.”
| This story, originally published in The Dallas Morning News, is reprinted as part of a collaborative partnership between The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News. The partnership seeks to boost coverage of Dallas’ communities of color, particularly in southern Dallas. |
