The Unusual Circumstances of Botham
Jean’s Murder Made Amber Guyger’s
Conviction Possible, But Not Inevitable
Texas Monthly,
by
Christopher Hooks
Original Article
Posted By: StormCnter,
10/2/2019 3:16:05 PM
Botham Shem Jean’s murder by off-duty police officer Amber Guyger captivated Texas, and the nation. So has Guyger’s trial, which kicked off in Dallas on September 23 and ended today with the jury finding Guyger guilty of murder, to the surprise of many. The jury is now considering a sentence of up to 99 years. Since 2005, just three other officers in the entire country have been convicted of murder and had their convictions stand.
Jean, born on the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia, was a highly motivated and conscientious young man, a leader of his church choir who regularly returned home to volunteer with at-risk youth and a local orphanage.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
hisself 10/2/2019 3:29:46 PM (No. 195917)
I read this piece of garbage - I wish I hadn't.
2 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
bamapreacher 10/2/2019 3:30:07 PM (No. 195918)
I agree with the verdict from what I know of the case although I would have voted manslaughter. I can understand that, sadly, police can feel threatened by black men, but only when they appear to be in a threatening position. It seems this poor guy was just sitting in his chair and the policewoman's reaction was way too fast even though he immediately got up, as anyone would have done when a stranger walked into their apartment at night. Anyway, how did she get into someone else's apartment? Wasn't the door locked?
6 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
ZeldaFitzg 10/2/2019 3:51:16 PM (No. 195935)
Relief? Hogwash. The woman was railroaded into a murder conviction to appease the black community in Dallas. She is possibly guilty of manslaughter or negligent homicide and should be punished, but she is not guilty of murder.
26 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
Flyball Dogs 10/2/2019 4:19:30 PM (No. 195955)
I can’t put my finger on it, but something is not right.
Maybe some LDotters in Texas could weigh in with opinions and/or analyses.
If you substitute anonymous genders and colors and identical circumstances (including the frantic sexting), would the verdict be the same?
6 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
mean Gene 10/2/2019 4:23:24 PM (No. 195959)
Next time a blind drunk armed woman comes into YOUR loved one's home in the middle of the night and kills your loved one, then make you case about how she deserves mercy or a lowered charge.
It was MURDER, not PRE-meditated murder, but murder nonetheless.
She had a bright RED welcome mat in front of her own door.
No one else did.
Considering her habits, a lush with enough money issues that she worked extra hours all the time, and his history as a nice man and church member, there was probably some "history" between these two that no one has brought up because it can only hurt her more.
Should blind drunkeness be mitigating condition for killing someone?
That's just like being immune from prosecution because you're running for federal office.
11 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
john56 10/2/2019 4:38:14 PM (No. 195968)
Texas Monthly is great for two features -- their coverage of Texas BBQ and the Texanist, who is basically the Miss (actually Mr.) Manners of all things Texas.
This was a sad case from the start. Obviously, the young lady cop screwed up. Some of the early reports was that she was inebriated, others that she had worked a double shift and was occupied in texting her married-cop-boyfriend. Either way, shooting a guy (white, black, brown, green, red, or chartruse) in his own apartment isn't the right answer. Some reports say that the gentleman's door was unlocked. Which, if I were a cop (single woman or man) and finding what I thought was my apartment unlocked, I would be apprehensive if I decided to enter (calling for backup would have been a better idea). And if I went in and realized, hey, this ain't my stuff, I'd figure quickly I was in the wrong place.
The gal should have taken a plea deal instead of rolling the dice with the jury. I would have probably thrown the book at her too, if I was on the jury.
10 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
StormCnter 10/2/2019 4:50:57 PM (No. 195971)
#4. Texan here. This story has been huge in the Dallas-Fort Worth area from the beginning. I am relieved she was found guilty. I don't care about her long shifts, how she may have partied in her off hours and certainly her femaleness should not be a factor. If she was so zoned out that she couldn't recognize she was entering an apartment not her own (no red mat, red light flashing when she tried to use her key, different decor) she probably had no business being on the police force. In addition, his ethnicity or hers is of no importance. She was in uniform and apparently did not yell "Police" when she saw the man. She simply shot him. At what point should her training have kicked in? He died. She deserves severe punishment.
16 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
WhamDBambam 10/2/2019 5:26:18 PM (No. 195990)
The dead victim was a graduate of an Arkansas college beloved by his community. Very sad case.
7 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
qr4j 10/2/2019 5:58:33 PM (No. 196020)
If I came home -- or to what I thought was my home -- and found the door ajar or unlocked (which explains how she didn't need a key to enter), I would not go into the house. I would first call police to check things out.
On top of that, I think I would realize quickly enough -- even if I were under stress -- that the "stuff" in the residence wasn't mine. If someone were in my home and started approaching me, I would back away and run like hell. Of course, I am not an officer of the law and I do not carry a fire arm.
This case is crazy-weird! This woman will serve up to 10 years for murder. The victim no longer lives on this planet. She has to pay for her crime somehow, even if it is a crime of being incredibly stupid.
10 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
Catherine 10/2/2019 6:05:07 PM (No. 196026)
Didn't she have one of those taser guns? Why wouldn't she have reached for that. The guy was seated and eating - he wasn't waving a gun around. I think she is guilty of manslaughter and needs a nice, long imprisonment.
2 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
lakerman1 10/2/2019 9:46:16 PM (No. 196188)
There are no positives here, except that she clearly had put in quality time at the firing range.
On appeal, I would guess that the conviction will be reduced to manslaughter.
As far as the article writer, he is a bit whacko. An off duty police officer never is really off duty. Most police departments require an officer to be carrying a sidearm at all times, or have ready access to one, 24/7.. There is a sound reason for that. Protect and serve, 24/7.
Is there a back story here? Probably. Just about every disciplinary arbitration case I tried, had a back story.
2 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
Strike3 10/3/2019 2:25:27 AM (No. 196255)
The woman had to be found guilty or the country would have been facing worse than Rodney King, Michael Brown or Treyvon Martin rioting.
1 person likes this.
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