Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Politics
Sarah Harvard

Dallas Police officer who fatally shot innocent black man in his own apartment is indicted

Amber Guyger was fired by the Dallas Police after she killed Botham Jean. ( AP )

A white former police officer who gunned down her unarmed black neighbour in his own apartment, will face trial for his murder a grand jury in Dallas has decided. 

Amber Guyger fatally shot Botham Jean when she mistakenly entered his apartment instead of her own. 

She told investigators that on 6 September, she found the door open and believing it to be hers, and opened it to see someone standing in the dark. 

After she pulled out her gun, she said the 26-year-old failed to obey her commands and she shot him twice. 

Three days later she was arrested and charged with manslaughter. The recent indictment upgraded her charge to murder. 

Mr Jean, a native of Caribbean island St Lucia, graduated from a college in Arkansas and was working for the prominent consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). 

Ms Guyger was fired from the Dallas Police Department, shortly after the shooting.  

The victim’s family filed civil lawsuits against the city of Dallas and Ms Guyger.

The federal lawsuit against Ms Guyger asserts she used excessive force against Mr Jean. It also claims that her police department did not give her adequate training as an officer. 

If found guilty of murder, Ms Guyger could be sentenced to life in prison

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.