NewsVine_Mariyam
Platinum Member
I haven't seen any of the coverage of Guyger's trial and was wondering if anyone knows if the fact that she was a police officer albeit off-duty at the time of the shooting impacted the proceedings?
By
Reis Thebault and
Brittany Shammas
Oct. 1, 2019 at 5:18 p.m. PDT
The former Dallas police officer who killed her unarmed black neighbor in his apartment was found guilty of murder Tuesday — a rare conviction in a high-profile police shooting and a verdict that civil rights activists heralded as a victory for police accountability.
Amber Guyger said she thought she was entering her own unit, one floor below, when she encountered 26-year-old Botham Jean last year and mistook him for a burglar. Guyger, an off-duty officer who had just finished a long shift, fired two shots at Jean, who had been watching TV and eating ice cream.
After a dramatic seven-day trial, the jury rejected Guyger’s self-defense claim and delivered what Jean family attorneys called a historic decision.
“This is a huge victory not only for the family of Botham Jean but, as his mother told me a moment ago, this is a victory for black people in America,” civil rights lawyer Lee Merritt said after the verdict was returned. “It’s a signal that the tide is going to change here; police officers are going to be held accountable for their actions and we believe that will change policing culture all over the world.”
Amber Guyger trial verdict: Ex-police officer found guilty of murder - CNN
By
Reis Thebault and
Brittany Shammas
Oct. 1, 2019 at 5:18 p.m. PDT
The former Dallas police officer who killed her unarmed black neighbor in his apartment was found guilty of murder Tuesday — a rare conviction in a high-profile police shooting and a verdict that civil rights activists heralded as a victory for police accountability.
Amber Guyger said she thought she was entering her own unit, one floor below, when she encountered 26-year-old Botham Jean last year and mistook him for a burglar. Guyger, an off-duty officer who had just finished a long shift, fired two shots at Jean, who had been watching TV and eating ice cream.
After a dramatic seven-day trial, the jury rejected Guyger’s self-defense claim and delivered what Jean family attorneys called a historic decision.
“This is a huge victory not only for the family of Botham Jean but, as his mother told me a moment ago, this is a victory for black people in America,” civil rights lawyer Lee Merritt said after the verdict was returned. “It’s a signal that the tide is going to change here; police officers are going to be held accountable for their actions and we believe that will change policing culture all over the world.”
Amber Guyger trial verdict: Ex-police officer found guilty of murder - CNN