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U.S. NEWS Thursday 13 sepTember 2018

Protesters angered by Dallas

shooting bring halt to meeting

By RYAN TARINELLI review of the matter. davit prepared by a Texas
DALLAS (AP) — Protesters Pepper balls, which usually Ranger and released Mon-
condemning the shooting contain the chemical in day, shortly after the district
death of a black man in pepper spray, should only attorney announced that
his Dallas apartment by a be used if there is an imme- the case would be present-
white off-duty police offi- diate threat to the public ed to a grand jury, which
cer disrupted a city coun- or if a commander at the could decide on more se-
cil meeting Wednesday, scene calls for them to be rious charges than man-
prompting a recess to quell used, Hall said. The projec- slaughter.
the outbursts. tiles irritate the nose and Benjamin Crump, an attor-
Mayor Mike Rawlings tem- eyes. ney for Jean's family, said
porarily halted the pro- Hall said she wants to meet Monday that the affidavit is Brandt Jean, center left, brother of shooting victim Botham Jean,
ceedings as dozens of with protest leaders to "ad- "very self-serving." Lee Mer- hugs his sister Allisa Charles-Findley, during a news conference
demonstrators chanted dress their concerns." ritt, who also represents the outside the Frank Crowley Courts Building on Monday, Sept. 10,
"No justice, no peace" and Monday's demonstration, family, called it an attempt 2018, in Dallas, about the shooting of Botham Jean by Dallas
people in the crowd re- which began outside Dal- to "condone what hap- police officer Amber Guyger on Thursday. He was joined by his
mother, Allison Jean, second from left, and attorney Benjamin
peatedly interrupted coun- las police headquarters, pened, give her a break." Crump, second from right, as attorney Lee Merritt, right, speaks
cil discussions by angrily de- came a day after officer Guyger, a four-year vet- to the media.
nouncing city and police Amber Guyger was ar- eran of the police force, Associated Press
officials. rested on a manslaugh- told investigators that she
Protest leaders said they ter charge in the death of had just ended a 15-hour turned to the front door to tion by the Texas Rangers.
want the city to establish Jean. She was released on shift Thursday when she see she was in the wrong She will have the option
a civilian board to review bond. returned in uniform to the unit, according to the affi- of presenting more serious
police conduct and that it The latest protest followed South Side Flats apartment davit. Authorities have not charges to the grand jury.
be given the power to sub- some initial praise from complex. She parked on released the 911 tapes. It's not clear if Guyger has
poena. community leaders about the fourth floor, instead of The Dallas County medical an attorney.
"It must have teeth. It must how Dallas officials han- the third, where she lived, examiner's office said Jean Guyger's blood was drawn
have subpoena power. It dled the aftermath of the according to the affidavit, died of a gunshot wound at the scene to be tested
must be able to hold these shooting. Police acknowl- possibly suggesting that to the chest. His death was for alcohol and drugs, ac-
police officers account- edged within hours that the she was confused or disori- ruled a homicide. cording to Hall, but au-
able for what they do," officer made a mistake, ented. Merritt said Monday that thorities have not released
said demonstrator Olinka turned over the investiga- When she put her key in the two independent witnesses results.q
Green. "Because if we were tion to independent state apartment door, which was have told him they heard
to do the same thing, you authorities and reached unlocked and slightly ajar, knocking on the door in the
guarantee we'd be locked out to the Jean's family. it opened, the affidavit hallway before the shoot-
up tight." Jean grew up in the Carib- said. Inside, the lights were ing. He said one witness re-
Demonstrators expressed bean island nation of Saint off, and she saw a figure ported hearing a woman's
their anger over the death Lucia before attending col- in the darkness that cast a voice saying, "Let me in!
Thursday of 26-year-old Bo- lege in Arkansas. He gradu- large silhouette across the Let me in!" Then they heard
tham Jean, who was shot ated from Harding Univer- room, according to the of- gunshots, after which one
after the officer says she sity in 2016 and had been ficer's account. witness said she heard a
mistook Jean's apartment working for accounting firm The officer told police that man's voice say, "Oh my
for her own. PwC. she concluded her apart- God! Why did you do that?"
Police used "pepper balls" Attorneys for Jean's fam- ment was being burglar- Merritt said he believes
on some of about 200 pro- ily have criticized the offi- ized and gave verbal com- those were Jean's last
testers at a demonstration cer's account of the shoot- mands to the person, who words.
on Monday. The next day, ing, saying it contradicted ignored them. She then Dallas County District Attor-
Police Chief U. Renee Hall statements from neighbors. drew her weapon and fired ney Faith Johnson empha-
criticized the use of the pro- The officer's description twice, the affidavit said. sized that her office was
jectiles and ordered police of what happened was She called 911 and, when conducting its own probe,
investigators to conduct a included in an arrest affi- asked where she was, re- in addition to the investiga-