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Sobbing Grandmother Says She Saw Cops Shoot 7-Year-Old Aiyana Jones

DETROIT (WWJ) Grandmother Mertilla Jones took the stand Monday in the highly charged case of Aiyana Stanley Jones -- the child allegedly shot to death by Detroit police on her front porch -- and said she actually witnessed the killing.

Detroit officer Joseph Weekley is accused of involuntary manslaughter in the death of the 7-year-old girl in 2010, which happened during a police raid that was being filmed for a reality show. Officers were on the hunt for a murder suspect at the Jones' house.

Monday, Mertilla Jones testified she and her granddaughter were sleeping on a couch when police rushed into the home and shot the little girl in the head.

"The guy was just pointing right there and Aiyana (was) hit," the grandmother said, sobbing on the stand. "I seen the light leave out of her eyes."

Jones says that she was on the floor at the time and that her granddaughter was on the couch and that no one had made contact with her, though Weekley contends he accidentally fired his gun when Mertilla Jones reached for it.

His attorney says Jones' testimony contradicts her previous statements that shots came through the front window. 

Jones said there were only seconds between the police entering the house and the shot being fired. She said Aiyana's head was propped against the armrest of the couch as she slept and that Weekley was holding the gun right next to the armrest when his weapon discharged.

"The gun went off and shot her in the head. I started screaming and hollering. ... 'Y'all done killed my grandbaby,'" Jones told the courtroom.

Jones said she didn't interfere with or touch any of the officers, who were dressed entirely in black, including their masks and combat boots. Police were accompanied by a crew from the reality TV show, "The First 48."

Last week, a neighbor testified that he tried to tell officers before they raided the home that children were inside. Under cross-examination Monday, Jones said the officers were negligent.

"They knew there were children in there. So why would they come in there like that? They came to kill, and they killed a 7-year-old."

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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