The white police officer who shot an unarmed black man in his apartment has been indicted for murder
The white police officer who was fired after fatally shooting an unarmed black man in his own apartment has been indicted for murder, The Dallas Morning News reports.
Amber Guyger was arrested for manslaughter in September after shooting 26-year-old Botham Jean. Guyger claimed that she shot and killed Jean after accidentally walking into his Dallas apartment, mistaking it for her own, and thought he was an intruder; she says she was returning home from a shift and parked on the fourth floor instead of the third floor, where she lives, reports The Associated Press. Jean was watching a football game when he was shot, says The Dallas Morning News. Reports of Jean's killing sparked widespread outrage and protests.
Jean's family, who filed a lawsuit against the city, had been pushing for a murder indictment, and the grand jury came to that decision Friday. The murder indictment means Guyger could be sentenced to life in prison, whereas under a manslaughter indictment, she would have faced up to 20 years.
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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