Dallas police officer fatally shoots man after entering wrong apartment

A Dallas police officer fatally shot a man named Botham Jean late Thursday after she mistakenly entered his apartment, believing it to be her own.

The officer, who has not been identified, has not been arrested, but Dallas police are obtaining a warrant on manslaughter charges and have asked the Texas Rangers to lead the investigation for the sake of accountability. "We understand the concerns of this community, and that is why we are working as vigorously and as meticulously as we can to ensure the integrity of this case," pledged police chief Rene Hall.

"Super scary, because the police are supposed to protect you and then they come home — and you're just hanging out in your own house — and then they come home thinking they're home or whatever,” said a neighbor in the same apartment complex, Richard Healy Nelson. “I don't know if she was tired, but that's pretty scary."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Jean hailed from the Caribbean island of St. Lucia. He came to the U.S. for college and worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Dallas. "I still don't believe he's gone, but we have to accept it," said Jean's brother, Brandt Jean. "He was really inspiring. He had a positive mind and vibe."