Ex-Dallas Police Officer Charged with Murder

A former Dallas police officer, who said she mistakenly shot and killed an unarmed neighbor, has been charged with murder on Nov. 30, reported the Dallas Observer.

Amber Renee Guyger, 30, surrendered to authorities after a grand jury indicted her on the charge of murder relating to the Sept. 6 death of Botham Jean, 26, the Dallas County District Attorney spokeswoman Kimberlee Leach told Reuters.

Guyger had allegedly shot Jean, after she mistook him for an intruder upon entering his apartment after her shift was over. She noticed that Jean’s door was slightly ajar and entered his premises by mistake where he appeared in the darkness, police said. Guyger lived in an apartment one floor below Jean’s unit.

Man Shot After Not Following Commands

According to an arrest warrant, Guyger said she had got off on the wrong floor and because it was dark, she believed she “had encountered a burglar.” Guyger said the man did not follow her commands, reported NBC.

She said she gave several verbal commands to the individual, then drew her weapon and shot the man twice. Guyger then called 911.

The officer was in tears as she spoke to the 911 operator. Jean was later transported to the hospital where he died.

Manslaughter, Murder Charges

Guyger was initially arrested on a manslaughter charge on Sept. 9 and released the same day on a $300,000 bond.

The initial decision to charge Guyger with manslaughter wasn’t up to Dallas County, Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson said. Instead, it was made by the Texas Rangers, who conducted the initial investigation in the case, reported the Dallas Observer.

Dallas County District Attorney Johnson said at a press conference on Nov. 30 that a grand jury returned the murder charge after they presented evidence, and explained the law.

“This office has spent hundreds and hundreds of hours investigating this case. We were determined to present to the grand jury all of the facts and explain to them the law.”

“At the moment of this shooting, it was an intentional and knowing offense,” Dallas County District Attorney Johnson said.

During the press conference, Jean’s mother, Allison Jean said that Guyger had “inflicted tremendous evil on [her] son.”

“He didn’t deserve it, he was seated in his own apartment. He felt safe in that apartment and he was violated by her coming in, and murdering him,” she added.

Mother Pleased With Verdict

Jean’s mother said she was “satisfied” with Guyger’s murder charge.

“I look forward to the next step, which is a conviction of murder of Amber Guyger and also of a penalty, the proper penalty that will cause her to reflect on what she has done,” Allison Jean said.

Botham Jean, a native of the Caribbean island nation of St. Lucia, graduated in accounting and management information systems at Harding University’s Arkansas campus in 2016, and had been interning at PricewaterhouseCoopers when killed.

Guyger was at first placed on administrative leave after shooting Jean, but fired days later, with the Dallas police chief citing in a tweet that Guyger was “terminated for her actions.”

Harding University said in a statement that Jean was active in campus affairs, leading a men’s social club, and interning at the campus ministry of the Christian-faith-based college.

The Epoch Times reporters Chris Jasurek and Zachary Stieber, and Reuters contributed to this report.