Photo: Kaufman County Jail
The Texas police officerwho fatally shot a neighbor last weekafter apparently mistaking his apartment for her own was arrested Sunday and charged with manslaughter, PEOPLE confirms.
Amber Guyger, a five-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department, spent several hours in jail before posting $300,000 for her release. Neither Guyger nor her lawyer could be reached for comment on Monday.
Investigators have said that Guyger, 30, shot and killed 26-year-old Botham Jean late Thursday when she returned from work.
She said she entered his apartment thinking it was hers, according to authorities. She called the shooting into dispatch moments after it happened.
Jean, who worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers and was a native of Saint Lucia, was transported to Baylor University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
The shooting happened Thursday around 10 p.m. after Guyger worked a full shift and was returning home in her uniform, according to a previous statement from Dallas police.
“At some point” after entering Jean’s apartment, she shot him, police have said.
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Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall said Friday that the shooting remains under investigation. She acknowledged that “there are more questions than we have answers.”
Testing was being done on Guyger’s blood to check for alcohol and drugs, according to Hall. The results of that test have not been publicly released.
Speakingwith theDallas Morning News, an unnamed law enforcement official provided several key details of how the shooting transpired. The official reportedly said that Guyger and Jean didn’t know each other.
The official told the paper that Guyger had mistakenly parked one floor above her own apartment on Thursday night and seemingly did not pick up on the discrepancy of a red doormat in front of Jean’s apartment — which her own residence did not have.
She was new to the building, according to the official.
Botham Shem Jean/Facebook
Jean left his front door unlocked and the lights inside were also off, the official said. According to this official’s account, Guyger believed that Jean was a burglar and shot twice, striking him once, then called authorities. She was also seen outside the apartment crying while on the phone.
She said, “I thought it was my apartment” and “I’m so sorry,” according to theMorning News, citing the official.
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings issued a statement about the arrest Sunday night.
“I am grateful to Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall for her leadership and foresight in calling for the Rangers to handle the investigation to ensure there was no appearance of bias,” he said. “I also greatly appreciate that our citizens and community leaders were so respectful of the investigative process over these past few days.”
PEOPLE’s attempts to reach Jean’s relatives have been unsuccessful.
His sister, in mourning, reportedly posted on Facebook: “Now I have to go pick out your casket. I love you with all of my heart. … Until we meet again my love.”
source: people.com
