'The First 48' producer accepts plea deal in Aiyana Jones case

Allison Howard pleads no contest to obstruction of justice in case of 7-year-old girl killed during Detroit police raid

DETROIT – Allison Howard, one of two A&E "The First 48" producers who filmed the Detroit police raid that killed 7-year-old Aiyana Jones, has pleaded no contest to obstruction of justice related to the release of the TV show footage.

Howard also was charged with perjury but has accepted the settlement offer from the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office. The perjury charge was dismissed.

Her trial was expected to start June 24. She pleaded in Detroit court on Thursday.

She will be sentenced to between 18 and 24 months of probation, which will be conducted by the state of Massachusetts. She faces a fine of $2,000 and up to 200 hours of community service.

Her lawyer Robert Harrison said, "This has been a painful period of time in her life and her thoughts are that this be put to rest."

Mistrial declared for Detroit officer charged in girl's death

A judge declared a mistrial Tuesday in the trial against Detroit police officer Joseph Weekley who is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the 2010 raid which killed Aiyana Jones.

Read: Mistrial declared for Weekley

The jury said it did not want to continue deliberations and could not reach a verdict.

Weekley accidentally fired his gun, killing the girl, while leading officers on the raid to find a murder suspect. Officers say they did not know the girl would be sleeping inside the home. She was on the couch with her grandmother, Mertilla Jones, nearby.

Weekley said he pulled the trigger during a struggle with the girl's grandmother, but Mertilla Jones denied interfering with the gun.

Aiyana Jones and Detroit police officer Joseph Weekley


Aiyana Jones, Joseph Weekley