Murder of Botham Jean
| Date | September 6, 2018 |
|---|---|
| Location | Texas, United States |
| Participants | Amber Guyger |
| Deaths | Botham Jean |
| Verdict | Guilty |
On September 6, 2018, off-duty Dallas patrol officer Amber Guyger, who is white,[1] entered the Dallas apartment of Botham Jean, who is black[2] and a 26-year-old accountant and native of St. Lucia, and shot and killed him. Guyger said that she had entered the apartment believing it was her own and shot Jean believing he was a burglar.[3][4] Guyger's apartment was on the third floor, directly below Jean's apartment which was on the fourth floor, in a multi-apartment dwelling with mostly identical floor plans on each level.[5] After she shot Jean she called 911. Jean was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died from his wound. The investigation was taken over by the Texas Rangers, who were responsible for Guyger's arrest three days later.[6] Guyger was charged with manslaughter, a 2nd degree felony in Texas, which carries a sentence of 2 to 20 years in a state prison and/or a fine not to exceed $10,000.[7] On September 24, Guyger was terminated from the police force, after being placed on administrative leave since the shooting.[8]
Following the shooting, an attorney representing Jean's family accused the Dallas police department of smearing Jean's reputation.[9] The lawyers also disputed the account of the incident that Guyger told officials, which was recorded in the arrest warrant affidavit, and asserted that two independent witnesses had come forward to give recollections that conflict with Guyger's account.[10]
On November 30, 2018, Guyger was indicted on murder charges by a Dallas County grand jury.[11]
On September 22, 2019, the day before the trial began, Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot took part in an interview regarding the trial in spite of a gag order issued by Judge Tammy Kemp in January of that year. After questioning jurors, who reported that they had not seen the interview or other media coverage of the trial, Kemp denied the defense's motion for a mistrial, and sequestered the jury.[12]
On October 1, 2019, Guyger was found guilty of murder.[13] The jury deliberated for five hours to reach the verdict of murder.[14] The jurors also considered the lesser charge of manslaughter.[15]
References
- ^ nytimes Oct 1 2019
- ^ nytimes Oct 1 2019
- ^ "Dallas officer goes home to wrong apartment, kills man inside". Fox 4. September 7, 2018.
- ^ Manna, Nichole (September 13, 2018). "Dallas police officer's arrest affidavit contradicts search warrant for victim's apartment". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
- ^ nbc news Oct. 1 2019
- ^ "Watch: Botham Jean's family, supporters label latest details released in his death as 'smear campaign'". Dallas News. 2018-09-13. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
- ^ "Amber Guyger identified as Dallas officer who fatally shot man in his apartment". CBSNews. September 8, 2018.
- ^ "Dallas cop who killed man in flat fired". BBC News. 2018-09-24. Retrieved 2018-09-24.
- ^ "Dallas police accused of smearing man killed by cop in his own apartment". Retrieved 2018-09-14.
- ^ "Victim's family disputes official account of the moments before Amber Guyger shot Botham Jean". Dallas News. 2018-09-10. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
- ^ "Sources: Fired cop Amber Guyger indicted on a murder charge in Botham Jean killing". WFAA. 2018-11-30. Retrieved 2018-11-30.
- ^ "Sources: Dallas County DA spoke about Amber Guyger case on eve of murder trial — much to judge's dismay". Dallas News. 2019-09-23. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
- ^ "Amber Guyger found guilty of murder at trial in fatal shooting of neighbor Botham Jean". NBC News.
- ^ "Ex-Dallas Officer Who Killed Neighbor In Upstairs Apartment Is Found Guilty Of Murder". NPR.
- ^ "Ex-Dallas Officer Who Killed Neighbor In Upstairs Apartment Is Found Guilty Of Murder". NPR.
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