Dallas police officer Amber Guyger killing Botham Shem Jean in his own home has become an international controversy. Guyger, 30, who was a police officer for 4 years, entered Jean’s apartment on Sept. 6, claiming she thought it was her apartment because she was supposedly exhausted from work. It was not clear whether the door was locked or why Guyger started shooting, especially since her story has repeatedly changed and Jean isn’t alive to defend himself. Nonetheless, he was shot and killed. The St. Lucia native was only 26 years old.
It took 72 hours for Guyger to be arrested and charged with manslaughter on Sept. 9. After only a few hours in custody, she was released on a bond of $300,000.
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There have been several pressing questions about the handling of the case by the Dallas Police Department. Why were the five search warrants for Guyger’s home never executed? Why did it take 18 days for her to be fired? Why has Guyger’s story changed and where is she now? There were suspicions of a cover-up and the world has been outraged. The killing of Botham Jean is another example of how Black lives and bodies are seen differently in this country. As we all know, if a Black cop killed a white woman in her apartment, there would be swift justice.
See the disturbing timeline below:
1. August of 2018
Botham Jean moves into South Side Flats apartment complex in Dallas, Texas. He is deeply involved in his church and works for the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Around 10 p.m., Botham Jean is in his home. While the details are unclear because only Guyger can tell the story, the 26-year-old is gunned down by the Dallas police officer. Guyger’s defense is that she went to the wrong apartment and killed him because she thought he was a burglar.
3. September 9, 2018
After 72 hours, Guyger finally turns herself in. She is charged with manslaughter and released on bond.
In an affidavit released on Monday, September 10, Guyger claims Botham Jean “ignored” her commands, blaming the victim for his own death. Also, her story changes, the door went from being locked to unlocked. Also, witness come forward saying they heard a woman’s voice saying, “Let me in!” And a man’s voice saying, “Oh, my God. Why did you do that?” right after the sound of a bullet.
By Tuesday, September 11, it was reported that Guyger now claimed Jean’s door was ajar. A resident proved it was impossible for the doors at the complex to be a jar.
6. September 12, 2018
Protesters shut down a city council meetingm chanting “No justice, no peace.” Mayor Mike Rawlings abruptly ended the meeting.
7. September 13, 2018
On the day of Botham Jean’s funeral, the Dallas police disgustingly released an affidavit saying the there were small traces of marijuana found in his apartment. Lee Merritt, an attorney for Jean’s family, said, “I think it’s unfortunate that law enforcement begin to immediately criminalize the victim — in this case, someone who was clearly was the victim that has absolutely no bearing on the fact that he was shot in his home.”
8. September 14, 2018
In a powerful press conference, Allison Jean, Botham’s mother, rips into the Dallas police department for releasing details that they found marijuana in his home. She said, “The information received yesterday is, to me, worse than the call that I got on the morning of Friday, Sept. 7. To have my son smeared in such a way, I think shows that the persons who are really nasty, who are really dirty and are going to cover up for the devil, Amber Guyger.” She also added, “Give me justice for my son because he does not deserve what he got. I will not sit back and see that justice does not prevail.”
9. September 18, 2018
Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall is being slammed by the Jean family and activists for not firing Amber Guyger. However, she says she is “prohibited” from firing her due to “civil service laws” — but she failed to cite the law. Dallas attorney Peter Schulte told ABC 8, “When I read Chief Hall’s statement today, it just doesn’t make much sense to me. I don’t know if it’s ignorance or being naive, but it doesn’t make any sense legally.”
10. September 21, 2018
St. Lucia’s Prime Minister Allen Chastanet slams the Dallas police for the handling of the Botham Jean case, saying, “Some people want to go further, that this was home invasion and therefore is subject to capital punishment. Now again, all these things are starting to play out because capital punishment is what the whole world has been trying to convey to us that we should not practice, yet here is a state in America that still practices it.”
He continued, “This is the inconsistency or hypocrisy, if you want to call it that, that exists in the global context that we have to deal with.”
11. September 24, 2018
Guyger is finally fired, when only days before Police Chief Hall said she couldn’t fire her. Nonetheless, Jean family is still asking for justice, they are demanding her charges be changed from manslaughter to murder.
