Botham Jean Death: Dallas Officer Amber Guyger Charged With Manslaughter

A Dallas police officer was arrested and charged with manslaughter Sunday for killing her neighbor, a black man, after mistaking his apartment for her own, authorities said.

The 30-year-old officer, Amber Guyger, was booked into Kaufman County Jail on Sunday for the offense, and was later released after she posted her $300,000 bond on the same day, officials said.

The incident happened late Thursday when Guyger, who was off-duty but still in uniform at the time, shot and killed Botham Shem Jean , 26, in his apartment at Southside Flats complex.

Jean, a University of Harding graduate, was a native of St. Lucia and was working as a risk assurance experienced associate at the PricewaterhouseCoopers in Dallas. He died of the gunshot wound after being taken to the hospital.

The case was transferred to the Texas Ranger by the Dallas Police Department (DPD). The DPD said the reason for this was there was a need for transparency in the investigation since the officer involved in the shooting belonged to the same department.

Police Chief Renee Hall said the warrant for Guyger's arrest was delayed because of the transfer.

"Right now, there are more questions than answers," Hall said. "We understand the concerns of the community. That is why we are working as vigorously and meticulously as we can to ensure the integrity of the case and the department is upheld."

Lawyers for Jean’s family were calling for Guyger’s arrest. They said the fact that she, a 4-year veteran of the force, was not arrested even a few days after the incident showed a favorable treatment toward their own.

"We don't need evidence beyond a reasonable doubt at this point,” S. Lee Merritt, the family's attorney said Sunday. "At this point, we need probable cause of a crime. And the existence of probable cause is painstakingly clear to everyone."

"We're still dealing in America with black people being killed in some of the most arbitrary ways, driving while black, walking while black and now we have to add living while black," co-counsel Benjamin Crump said.

Responding to the case, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings posted his statement on the arrest in Twitter: “I want to thank the Texas Rangers for thoroughly investigating the tragic case from the moment the Dallas Police Department requested they take over on Friday morning. I am grateful to Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall for her leadership and foresight in calling for the Rangers to handle the investigation to ensure there was no appearance of bias. I also greatly appreciate that our citizens and community leaders were so respectful of the investigative process over these past few days.”

The police said Guyger told them she was returning home from her shift Thursday night when she accidentally entered Jean’s apartment. She believed he was an intruder and fatally shot him.

A Fox 4 anchor said not only was she in the wrong apartment, but in the incorrect floor too.

She was arrested Sunday after a warrant was issued by the 7th District Court in Dallas County.

Merritt said the prosecutors were presented with a witness and video evidence which did not capture the shooting as such. He declined to elaborate further, CNN reported. 

“She took my life away, like my very own life,” Botham Jean's mother, Allison Jean, said . “She has to face whatever the law says.”

“Botham loved God. Botham loved you. Botham loved mankind. Botham never saw color, race. Botham wanted all of us to unite,” she added .