Page 19 - Florida Sentinel 10-4-19

National
Virginia Pre-Teen Who Says Classmates Cut Her Locs Admits It Was A Lie
Amber Guyger Is Found Guilty Of Murder In The Shooting Death Of Botham Jean In His Apartment
Allison Jean took the stand first at Amber Guyger's sentencing hearing Tuesday, hours after raising her hands in jubilation over the rare murder conviction of a former police officer in the death of her son, Botham.
Jean and her daughter were largely composed as they addressed the jury, describing how losing Botham had up- ended their lives.
"My life has not been the same," Allison Jean told the jury that will sentence Guyger. "It's just been like a roller coaster”.
Guyger, who is white, tes- tified that after working long hours on September 6, 2018, she returned to her Dallas apartment complex. In uni- form but off duty, she ap- proached what she thought was her apartment. She no- ticed the door was partially open, saw a man inside who she believed to be an intruder, and fired her service weapon, killing him.
In fact, she was at the apart- ment directly above hers --
Amber Guyger was found guilty in the death of Botham Jean.
which belonged to the 26-year- old Jean, who was black. Prosecutors said Jean had been on the couch in his shorts, watching TV and eating vanilla ice cream when Guyger walked in.
Jurors deliberated for less than 24 hours before reaching the verdict. Guyger was booked into the North Tower Detention Center in Dallas Tuesday afternoon, according to the county website.
Though the topic of race did not figure prominently in the
trial itself, outside the court- room, Jean's case had become a focal point in the national conversation on policing and the threat of violence people of color face in daily life.
After the verdict, S. Lee Merritt, an attorney for Jean's family, called the mur- der conviction a "huge victory" not only for the victim's family but also "for black people in America." Few police officers ever face trial for shooting deaths, and even fewer are convicted.
Last week, it was reported about Amari Allen, the twelve-year-old sixth-grader who claimed that three of her white male classmates, forcibly held her down and cut her locs, while calling her ugly.
Now, according to Insider, Allen and her family are re- canting their story.
Today, her grandparents, who are her legal guardians, and the Immanuel Christian School released statements claiming that Amari’s state- ments were false.
In a statement sent to The
Washington Post, Allen’s grandparents, who spoke to news stations about the inci- dent, apologized.
“To those young boys and their parents, we sincerely apologize for the pain and anx- iety these allegations have caused. To the administrators and families of Immanuel Christian School, we are sorry for the damage this incident has done to trust within the school family and the undue
The family of Amari Allen, 12, walked back the girl's claims that she was pinned down by three white class- mates who then cut her dreadlocks off.
scorn it has brought to the school. To the broader commu- nity, who rallied in such pas- sionate support for our daughter, we apologize for be- traying your trust. We under- stand there will be consequences and we’re pre- pared to take responsibility for them. We know that it will take time to heal, and we hope and pray that the boys, their fami- lies, the school and the broader community will be able to for- give us in time.”
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