An off-duty Dallas police officer told authorities she believed she had discovered a burglar inside her unlit apartment Thursday. That’s why she fired her service weapon at Botham Shem Jean, according to an affidavit released by police Monday after prosecutors formally charged Amber Guyger with manslaughter.
According to the new documents, Guyger, 30, told Texas Ranger David Armstrong that her door was ajar when she arrived at her downtown Dallas apartment. She saw a “large silhouette” inside, drew her handgun and gave “verbal commands that were ignored” by Jean, 26. Guyger pulled the trigger, hitting Jean in the torso. He died of the injury hours later.
Guyger told investigators that she called 911, first turning on the lights while on the call. “Upon being asked where she was located by emergency dispatchers, Guyger returned to the front door to observe the address and discovered she was at the wrong apartment,” the affidavit said.
A video taken from outside the building shows the officer on the phone, pacing back and forth outside the apartment and crying. Paramedics were later seen moving a man on a gurney and performing CPR on him.
Guyger voluntarily surrendered at the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Department on Sunday evening amid intensifying calls for her arrest and accusations that police were showing deferential treatment to one of their own. The death also has become a rallying cry for advocates against police brutality.
Despite the arrest, Jean’s mother, Allison Jean, said several questions remained unanswered.
“The number one answer that I want is, ‘What happened?'” Allison Jean told reporters Monday.
“I have asked too many questions, and I’ve been told that there are no answers yet. I’m looking forward to the powers that be to come up with the answers to make me more satisfied that they are doing what is in the best interest of getting justice for Botham.”
Officials were silent Monday about what happened inside Jean’s apartment, what the officer’s physical and mental state was at the time, whether she was under the influence of a controlled substance, why she thought Jean’s apartment was hers, and why a trained officer seemed so quick to use deadly force.
It also is still unclear why investigators held off for three days before charging Guyger with manslaughter.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.