Page 30 - Florida Sentinel 9-28-18

National News
Dallas Police Fire Officer Charged With Fatally Shooting Man In His Apartment
Judge Drops 119 Cases After Florida Deputy Investigated For Planting Drugs
DALLAS - Amber Guyger, the police officer charged with manslaughter in the shooting of Botham Shem Jean inside his Dallas apartment, has been fired from the department, accord- ing to the Dallas police chief.
Guyger was fired during a hearing Monday, Chief Ulysha Renee Hall said in a statement. Jean's mother, Al- lison, learned of Guyger's termination during a Sunday evening conference call with Hall, family attorney S. Lee Merritt said Monday.
She also offered an expla- nation of why it took so long, explaining that she had to con- sider Ms. Guyger's Fifth Amendment protections specifically so that her termi- nation action wouldn't com- promise the criminal matter and lead to, really, the criminal allegations being thrown out altogether," he told reporters. The Fifth Amendment pro- hibits self-incrimination and double jeopardy, and guaran- tees due process for those ac- cused of crimes.
Guyger, 30, said she shot and killed Jean, 26, after she thought she was entering her own apartment, not realizing she was on the wrong floor of her building, police have said. The shooting took place Sep-
Amber Guyger is charged with killing Botham Shem Jean on September 6.
tember 6.
An internal affairs investi-
gation concluded that Guyger "engaged in adverse conduct when she was arrested for manslaughter" on September 9, according to a police state- ment.
Under civil service rules, Guyger has the right to ap- peal her discipline, the state- ment reads.
In the criminal case, Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson has said a grand jury could charge Guyger with a stiffer crime than manslaughter.
Amber Guyger is charged with killing Botham Shem Jean on September 6.
Amber Guyger is charged with killing Botham Shem Jean on September 6.
While Allison Jean was
relieved by the news of Guyger's termination, calling it a "satisfactory solution," the family would still like to see Guyger indicted on a murder charge, Merritt said.
The attorney is preparing a civil rights claim in Jean's death. He said Guyger's ter- mination makes his case stronger because it shows the city and police department think Guyger "obviously en- gaged in behavior that doesn't comport with a police officer," he said.
Botham Jean was sched- uled to be laid to rest Monday in his native St. Lucia. At a September 13 ceremony in Richardson, Texas, hundreds gathered to remember the "ex- troverted accountant" who "shared his love with every- one."
An alarming 119 criminal cases have been dropped after it was revealed that a former Florida deputy was involved in dirty arrest practices that in- cluded planting drugs on sus- pects.
After a lengthy investiga- tion by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, it was re- vealed that former Deputy Zachary Wester, who was fired Sept. 10, was be- hind a large number of bogus cases, prosecutors in the 14th Judicial Circuit announced Tuesday.
According to the Talla- hassee Democrat, the charges that have been dropped in the 119 cases range from misdemeanor and crimi- nal traffic offenses to felonies, including possession of methamphetamine and other controlled substances, accord- ing to reports.
Starting on Sept. 13, the cases involving Wester were
dismissed. On Tuesday alone, 49 cases were thrown out by Jackson County Judge Wayne Mercer.
Derek Blount, an assis- tant public defender, asked for the sentences of at least 40 de- fendants to be vacated or set aside pleas.
State Attorney Laura Parish instead announced that the charges would be dropped altogether because of the corrupt cop.
Blunt explained to the judge that his clients were not present in the courtroom for fear of their response.
Wester corruption cases came to light after a report by the Tallahassee Democrat surfaced.
Wester was seen on body cam video planting meth in a woman’s pickup truck.
“We’re just pursuing jus- tice,” Blount said, “trying to do everything we can.”
State News
National News
Teacher Threatened Teen’s Grades If He Didn’t Have Sex With Her, Lawsuit Says
Joy Reid Has Been Sued For Defamation By Donald Trump Supporter
Joy Reid has been sued for defamation by a Donald Trump supporter who claims she received death threats after the MSNBC host falsely accused her of hurling racial slurs at a teen in a photo that went viral earlier this year.
According to court docu- ments obtained by The Blast, Roslyn La Liberte claims Reid used “her substantial social media presence, fame, and reputation as a hard-hit- ting journalist” to publish “fake news” to her followers that La Liberte “screamed abhorrent racial slurs” at a 14- year-old boy, the report states.
La Liberte claims the photo – which showed her in a MAGA hat appearing to scream at the boy — was com- pletely misinterpreted and
JOY REID
the teenager gave an inter- view with local news after the incident, saying that La Lib- erte “was still trying to keep it civil, which I appreciate.”
According to La Liberte, Joy Reid claimed on social media that she “showed up ‘to a rally’ and ‘screamed’ at a young man of fourteen (14) years that he is ‘going to be
the first deported . . . dirty Mexican!’”
The lawsuit goes on to claim that “Reid made up out of whole cloth the accusation that La Liberte screamed racial slurs at a minor.”
La Liberte believes Reid’s comments “were also born out of her personal ani- mus and dislike of President Donald Trump, the Repub- lican Party, and supporters of each, including those wearing MAGA hats.”
She also claims that she has received “hundreds if not thousands of hate messages” and death threats following Reid’s statements.
Reid apologized on Twit- ter and deleted her posts but La Liberte wasn’t satisfied. She’s now suing for defama- tion and seeking damages in excess of $75,000.
A South Carolina math teacher threatened a stu- dent’s good grades if he re- fused to have sex with her, according to a lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges Jen- nifer Danielle Olajire- Aro, 27, “used her age and position of authority” to per- suade the student to have sex with her. The student, identi- fied as “John Doe” in the lawsuit, was 17 at the time, according to the Charlotte Observer.
According to the The Post and Courier, Olajire-Aro was arrested in December of 2017 and charged with sexual battery of a student 16 or 17 years of age.
The lawsuit says the teacher coerced the teen into sex multiple times in Novem- ber and December 2017, “in- cluding on school grounds, in her personal vehicle, and at her primary residence.” One of those times Olajire-Aro’s
10-month-old baby was pres- ent, the suit says.
The Observer reports, if the teen tried to refuse his teacher’s advances, Olajire- Aro “would remind Plaintiff John Doe that she alone controlled what grade he would receive in her class,” according to the suit. The teen skipped his math class in order to avoid the teacher, the suit claims.
The student told his mother what had been hap- pening with the teacher in December, according to the Observer, and police arrested Olajire-Aro on December 19.
The criminal case against Olajire-Aro is pending and according to the lawsuit she has not been fired, but Charleston television station WCSC reports that as of Jan- uary 2018 Olajire-Aro was no longer employed by the district.
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