Amber Guyger Found Guilty in Murder of Botham Jean
Source: The Dallas Morning News
Source: The Dallas Morning News
Update: A Dallas jury has sentenced Amber Guyger 10 years in prison for the shooting death of Botham Jean. Prosecutors had asked jurors to sentence Guyger to at least 28 years. It was seen as a symbolic gesture; Jean would have turned 28 last Sunday.
Source: NBC News
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Guyger is the first member of the Dallas police department convicted of murder since 1973.
After five hours of deliberation, a Dallas jury has found former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger guilty of murder. The jury will subsequently consider sentencing options Tuesday (October 1st) afternoon, with Guyger facing up to 99 years in prison.
Just yesterday, presiding judge Tammy Kemp ruled that the jury would be able to consider the Castle Doctrine — which allows a person to use “force (even deadly force) in the protection of a home, vehicle, or other property if someone attempts to forcibly enter or remove an individual from the premises.”— in their deliberations.
READ: A Manipulation Of Black Innocence: Botham Jean & How Black People Are Wrong Even When They're Not
It was a controversial ruling: Guyger was not in her own home. She was inside the home of her upstairs neighbor Botham Jean. Guyger claims she mistook her neighbor’s apartment for her own and shot Jean thinking he was an intruder.
Assistant District Attorney Jason Hermus cited a discrepancy between Guyger's actions and her training as an officer, which, in this situation, would inform her to retreat and call for backup. The prosecution also pointed out that Guyger's apartment was located just two blocks away from police headquarters, thus there was sufficient time for backup to reach the scene had protocol been followed.
Jean, a 26-year-old native of St. Lucia, was working as an accountant in the Dallas area. He is survived by parents Bertram and Allison Jean, as well as siblings Brandt Jean and Alissa Charles-Findley.
H/T: NPR
