Former Dallas policewoman who shot unarmed black neighbor is charged with murder
A former Dallas police officer was indicted for the murder of an unarmed man.
For only the second time in 45 years, a Dallas police officer has been indicted for murder. The Dallas County grand jury indicted 30-year-old Amber Guyger for the murder of Botham Jean, 26.
The grand jury chose to indict Guyer for murder, though she was originally charged with manslaughter by the Texas Police, reported Dallas News.
According to the Texas penal code, murder is defined by the perpetrator intentionally or knowingly causing the death of another person while committing a dangerous act.
JUST IN: New booking photos of former DPD officer Amber Guyger indicted today on charge of murder pic.twitter.com/OhZOIKH9zz
— WFAA (@wfaa) November 30, 2018
A STRANGE MISTAKE ENDS IN A TRAGIC DEATH
On September 6, 2018, Officer Amber Guyger walked into what she thought was her apartment at the South Side Flats complex and found a strange man sitting watching football on TV.
Guyer shot the man, and only then discovered she had got off on the wrong floor. Her own apartment was directly above Jean's, one floor up.
Amber Guyger, the officer who shot and killed Botham Jean in his own apartment, was just indicted for murder pic.twitter.com/AknJ7MScw4
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) December 3, 2018
THE VICTIM REFUSED TO OBEY HER COMMANDS
Guyer claims that she shot Jean when he refused to obey her commands. She had just finished her shift and was wearing her uniform and carrying her gun. It is unclear how she entered the victim's apartment.
Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger says she shot #BothamJean after mistaking his apartment for hers. Today, she's been indicted for murder.
— AJ+ (@ajplus) November 30, 2018
Here's a look back: pic.twitter.com/eDRraT9QBw
GUYER'S AFFIDAVIT INDICATES SHE SHOT AT THE VICTIM TWICE
Guyer stated to the Police that she took out her electronic chip key, but found the apartment door was slightly ajar. When she entered the apartment, it was dark and she claimed that she saw a large silhouette. She declared that she then believed her home was being burgled and issued commands to the supposed intruder. When he did not respond, Guyer opened fire.
1/ Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger was indicted today on a murder charge, not manslaughter, for killing unarmed Botham Jean in his apartment. Here’s what that means... https://t.co/VFjlEtmJDL pic.twitter.com/AhE4tUzhln
— Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) November 30, 2018
GUYER CALLED 911 AND ADMINISTERED FIRST AID TO HER VICTIM
Once her victim was down, Guyer alleges that she turned on the lights to call 911, and only then did she realize she was not in her own apartment. She had shot an unarmed man inside his own home.
BREAKING: For months, COC & 170K of our members demanded officer #AmberGuyger be held accountable for killing #BothamJean. Today, a Dallas Grand Jury indicted her on murder. “Today’s decision is the first step in the right direction" COC's Scott Robertshttps://t.co/FSlZ6wt320
— ColorOfChange (@ColorOfChange) November 30, 2018
According to the Texas penal code, murder is defined by the perpetrator intentionally or knowingly causing the death of another person while committing a dangerous act.
GUYER'S ATTORNEY CONSIDERS INDICTMENT TO BE DUE TO POLITICAL PRESSURE
Guyer's attorney, Robert Rogers, confessed that he was not surprised by the indictment and that he believes the highly emotional mood of the public and political expediency drove the District Attorney to try Guyer for murder rather than manslaughter:
"I feel for Botham Jean's family, and I can't imagine the pain they are going through. But when you look at the law, this was a tragic mistake. Amber Guyger felt she was in her apartment. I don't think there is any dispute to that. She was justified in her actions."
Amber Guyer cut short the life of a young man who had immigrated from St Lucia in the Caribbean to the United States to attend Harding University in Arkansas. Botham Jean later moved to Dallas to take up a job at a PwC as an accountant. His parents shared that Jean had dreamed of returning to his home island and running for prime minister.
Jean's future is no more, and Guyer may pay for her mistake by spending the rest of her life in prison if a jury of her peers finds her guilty as charged.
Read more on Twitter Amomama USA.
The Grand Jury will choose today whether or not to indict officer #AmberGuyger for murdering #BothamJean in his own living room. Today we demand an indictment. Tomorrow we see it through till conviction. And if there isn't an indictment today, we'll be in the streets tonight. pic.twitter.com/MnQOOpcxmP
— Dr. Omar Suleiman (@omarsuleiman504) November 28, 2018
NEW MEXICO POLICE OFFICER WAS FIRED FOR FLYING RACIST FLAG
A Roswell Police Officer, Silvia Cotriss, was fired by her Department for flying a Confederate flag in her yard.
The Confederate flag has long been associated with racial hatred and discrimination since it was the flag of the secessionist states in the American Civil War of 1861.
The trigger of the Civil war was the refusal of the Southern states - including Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia - to accept the abolition of slavery.
The sight of the Confederate flag in a police officer's yard led many to complain to the police department.
Corliss was notified that she was under investigation following a complaint from the local community, which included a Pastor, Lee Jenkins.
Corliss claims that she had no idea that the Confederate flag could be seen as offensive or as a symbol of racial discrimination.
Corliss, a 20-year veteran, is appealing her termination and maintains that if she had been asked to, she would have taken down the flag.
