The Dallas police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black man inside his home has been identified as Amber Guyger. Guyger, who reportedly has been a cop for four years, alleges to have mistaken the victim’s home for her own.
Guyger is currently on administrative leave and has yet to be arrested for killing 26-year-old Botham Shem Jean, who was described by loved ones as warm, cheerful and loved to sing.
Leading civil rights attorney Ben Crump along with Lee Merrit, a Dallas based lawyer, are representing the Jean estate.
“Our first and foremost priority will be to ensure justice is served for this family. That includes holding Amber Guyger accountable for her crimes as well as ID’ing all responsible for enabling this incident,” Merrit tweeted.
Rumors suggested that Guyger knew Jean and the two were involved in a romantic relationship. In a press conference held Saturday (Sept, 8) Merrit said there’s no proof to substantiate that claim.
According to WFAA-TV, the shooting technically took place when Guyger was off duty. However, the Texas Department of Public Safety Texas Rangers are ensuring that “transparency” is maintained throughout the investigation, Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall said.
https://media.wfaa.com/embeds/video/8245693/iframe
The Dallas PD was reportedly about to charge Guyger with manslaughter for another incident prior to her killing Jean. Hall says the department was readying a warrant for her arrest when rangers intervened, claiming they wanted to speak with Guyger first.
READ MORE: Stephon Clark’s Family Seeks $35 Million In Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Sacramento