A cop who wrongly shot, and killed, a man who was enjoying an ice cream has been denied parole.
This is a tough one. It was an accident…but that’s one hell of an accident.
At a glance:
- Amber Guyger, a former Dallas police officer, has been denied parole after serving five years of a 10-year sentence for the 2018 murder of Botham Jean, who was shot in his own apartment.
- Jean’s family and over 6,300 petition signers successfully opposed her parole, expressing relief at the decision.
- Guyger, who mistakenly entered Jean’s apartment and shot him, has repeatedly attempted to appeal her conviction, but courts have upheld her murder sentence.
Amber Guyger, the former Dallas police officer convicted of murdering Botham Jean in his own apartment in 2018, has been denied parole after serving five years of her 10-year prison sentence. Guyger, now 35, was found guilty of murder in 2019 for fatally shooting 27-year-old Jean, who was sitting on his couch eating ice cream when Guyger mistook his apartment for her own and believed he was an intruder.
Guyger’s parole hearing, held in late September, coincided with what would have been Jean’s 33rd birthday. However, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice denied her request after opposition from Jean’s family, Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot, and over 6,300 individuals who signed an online petition urging authorities to keep her behind bars.
https://x.com/CoffindafferFBI/status/1845042900448514058
An email from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice acknowledged the impact of the “criminal victimization” Jean’s family had faced, leading to the parole denial. “We feel a sense of relief,” Jean’s sister, Allisa Charles-Findley, said, noting how the family had been interviewed by the parole board just days before the decision. Similarly, Jean’s mother, Allison Jean, said the family felt a “sense of relief” knowing their petition had been considered.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Iwd_1WhMoI
Since the trial, Guyger has made multiple attempts to appeal her conviction, arguing that she mistakenly believed she was in her own apartment and that her actions were reasonable under the circumstances. Her legal team sought to have her murder conviction reduced to criminally negligent homicide, which carries a lesser sentence. However, both the Texas appeals court and the U.S. Supreme Court rejected her appeals, with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals declining to hear her case in 2022.
Throughout the appeals process, Dallas County prosecutors argued that Guyger’s actions were intentional, pointing to her testimony during the trial in which she admitted intending to kill Jean. The appeals court’s ruling concurred, stating that Guyger’s mistaken belief about being in her own apartment did not negate the intent to kill Jean.
Jean’s death sparked widespread protests in Dallas and drew national attention to issues of police misconduct and racial injustice. The case also led to the firing of Guyger from the Dallas Police Department shortly after the shooting.
In the most recent parole bid, Jean’s family and petitioners argued that granting parole would undermine the severity of Guyger’s crime and the justice sought for Botham Jean. The petition, which garnered thousands of signatures, emphasized the need for Guyger to serve her full sentence as a reflection of the gravity of her actions.
“Allowing Amber Guyger to be released early would not only be a disservice to Botham Jean’s memory, but also to the principles of justice and accountability,” the petition stated.
Guyger will not be eligible for parole again until 2026, ensuring that she will serve at least eight years of her 10-year sentence before another parole consideration.
