Amber Guyger Found Guilty Of Murdering Black Neighbor Botham Jean
Amber Guyger has been found guilty.
A Texas jury found the white former police officer who shot her Black neighbor in his own apartment guilty of murder, The Guardian reports.
Botham Jean was 26 years old when Guyger shot and killed him on September 6, 2018, in his Dallas apartment. The 31-year-old claimed she parked on the wrong floor of the apartment complex where they both lived and tried to enter Jean’s apartment, thinking it was her unit.
People cheered when the verdict of guilty was announced, according to The Guardian.
“Thank you, Jesus!” someone yelled.
On Monday (September 30), which was the seventh day of the trial, jurors spent hours deliberating. Their deliberation continued on Tuesday (October 1) before announcing the verdict.
The defense argued that Guyger sincerely believed her life was in danger when she shot and killed Jean. If the juror agreed, it could have resulted in Guyger’s falling within the “castle doctrine” law, a stand your ground law that allows for the use of deadly force in self-defense by civilians on their property.
Still, the jury found her guilty of murder, which carries a potential life sentence.