DALLAS POLICE OFFICER AMBER GUYGER INDICTED FOR MURDER IN SHOOTING OF NEIGHBOR BOTHAM JEAN

So apparently, things may not be the same ole in the case of the white Dallas, Texas police officer shooting death of her neighbor, Caribbean native, Botham Jean. The case of mistaken identity sparked national outrage and days of protest when news of the shooting first broke.

The Incident

This past September, Dallas police officer, Amber Guyger, was returning home from a night out when she parked her car on the wrong floor of her apartment building and went to an apartment on the third floor instead of her fourth floor apartment. According to Guyger’s story, she entered the home thinking that it was hers and saw the silhouette of a large man. She drew a weapon and fired, killing the man.

She was summarily charged with suspicion of manslaughter and released on a $300,000 bond.

The Charges

Dallas County DA, Faith Johnson explained that she didn’t initially charge Amber Guyger with Murder because,

“We presented the evidence and we explained the law… “murder constitutes someone “intentionally and knowingly” committing a crime, whereas manslaughter involves “recklessly doing something.” She added, “At the moment of the shooting it was a knowing … offense.”

However, on Friday, a grand jury returned charges of indictment and murder, which is a huge step in the right direction according to Sharon Watson Jones of the Texas ACLU.

However, Guyger’s attorney disagrees. Robert Rogers, Guyger’s attorney, was disappointed but not surprised by the indictment, given what he called an “outpouring of vindictive emotion” in a statement late Friday.

The biggest change in the case is that DA Faith Jones will not be prosecuting the case as she was defeated in the November election by John Creuzot, who will take office in January.

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