TX - Former Dallas Police Officer Amber Guyger, indicted for Murder of Botham Shem Jean #5

[Amber29]

I feel terrible for him, he seems like hes having such a hard time getting through this. Like he is trying to keep from crying

 

[Jax49]

Recess until he can recover - seemed to be brought on by remembering hearing Bo singing.

 

[Hraefn]

Joshua (neighbor witness) just requested a moment break. He was visibly upset and wiping his eyes.

IDC at all what clothes he is wearing, he is dressed in a regular t-shirt and suits are expensive. I feel so bad for this young man. I cannot imagine his pain.

 

[fridaybaker]

Lot's of problems in this case, but on the issue of "rendering aid": I have to believe that were Guyger one of the police officers to come upon the scene, or upon the scene of any other shooting, she would have done so. In this case, she was absolutely distraught; reeling from the realization of what she'd just done. I would think many highly trained officers would be stunned and stumble at this point.

However, this all brings up so many other points. I wonder if she were ever very qualified to be a police officer from the start. In the previous year, I believe, she'd had a suspect take her own stun gun away from her. When we talk about LE being "highly trained", yes, but they also have to be capable of certain things before that training. You could train me forever, and I wouldn't in a million years EVER be qualified, training or no, to function in the situations police officers have to function -split second decisions, incredible concentration during life and death situations, often dealing with that on very little sleep, etc., etc., etc.

I think in our efforts as a society to achieve "fairness" in the work place, the ends often suffer. I wonder about that in this case.

 

[CrimeDawg123]

This is so heartbreaking.

 

[Jax49]

This is so heartbreaking.

Makes it real, doesn't it?

 

[scarletstar]

Joshua (neighbor witness) just requested a moment break. He was visibly upset and wiping his eyes.

IDC at all what clothes he is wearing, he is dressed in a regular t-shirt and suits are expensive. I feel so bad for this young man. I cannot imagine his pain.

heck yes they are. He's got me all teared up as well as the judge! i didn't mean to come off as judgmental. his appearance, as well as the judge giving him a lookover, made me chuckle.

 

[fridaybaker]

And, so much discussion around this case misses the entire point, in my book. Why does it matter if she was exchanging explicit texts or whatever with her partner beforehand? She made terrible decisions that night, which ended in the death of an innocent person, but isn't the key question here only this: Were her actions accidental or did she set out to murder Mr. Jean.

 

[MsFacetious]

I mean especially if you're exhausted from work. Leave the weapon somewhere. "What are you doing in my partner?"

"Uh, it's my apartment?"

"What? Oh my gosh! I'm sorry!"

Or at the least retreat and call for back up. Not walk in and shoot someone to death at first sight.

Yes. There was zero reason for her to pull her weapon, much less shoot it.

Neighbor testifying management knocked on his door (and Botham's) early afternoon (day of shooting). They said it was a noise complaint, but neighbor says their was no noise.

ETA: He spoke with Botham and they thought it was really about them smoking weed.

Hmmm... so Amber wouldn't have been home at the time... I wonder if they know who made the complaint?

I know as a juror, you are instructed to dress appropriately for court. Isn't the same true for witnesses? I am guessing not.

No, you are instructed to do that. However, as long as you don't violate the dress code, whatever works. I don't think it will impact the jury's opinion of him.

 

[CrimeDawg123]

And, so much discussion around this case misses the entire point, in my book. Why does it matter if she was exchanging explicit texts or whatever with her partner beforehand? She made terrible decisions that night, which ended in the death of an innocent person, but isn't the key question here only this: Were her actions accidental or did she set out to murder Mr. Jean.

Once she was in the room, she set out to murder Mr. Jean.

 

[wyome]

Recess until he can recover - seemed to be brought on by remembering hearing Bo singing.

God bless him. It's extremely hard to testify in court for anyone, let alone testifying to something so personal and tragic. I love how he talked about his dog. I still want to nudge him to wear a polo the next time lol. Sorry, it's so ingrained in my generation.

 

[MTW2011]

So now we know that the 4th floor parking was open air unlike the 3rd floor garage. The red doormat, his plants inside his unit, her kitchen table not being there...really finding it harder to imagine how someone could have reasonably thought it was their apartment.

 

[sloane7777]

I wasn't the poster that said it but again being local I know there were numerous rumors that went around....
Rumor 1- That they knew eachother leading up to this, that they had dated, that there were pics of them together. none of this is true
Rumor 2- That she had complained about noise from his apartment previously - has never been proven
Rumor 3- That she banged on the door and was heard yelling "Let me in" and that he opened the door to her- the door was actually unlocked

Following the local station WFAA on facebook these are some of the rumors people are still circulating in the comment threads.

rumor 3 / hasn't been addressed yet 2 witnesses said they heard this they went to Lee Merit , not sure its a rumor.

 

[Hraefn]

Joshua is testifying about how he had gone to the wrong floor in the apartment building a few times, and even put his key in the wrong apartment door before and then realized it was the wrong door.

 

[gitana1]

Neighbor of Jean's currently testifying.

I do admit laughing at that. I'm sure the prosecution wasn't too thrilled with his attire.

I had a male client show up at a custody hearing with a large earring, a wallet chain, facial piercings, tattoos showing, necklace. Sort of studded black leather bracelet thing. Not sharp but come on.

I was so mean. I was just, "What are you thinking? Seriously? What are you thinking coming to court like that?"

It was early in my practice. Now I know how to prep them. "Dress like you're going to a Mormon funeral."

 

[gitana1]

Joshua (neighbor witness) just requested a moment break. He was visibly upset and wiping his eyes.

IDC at all what clothes he is wearing, he is dressed in a regular t-shirt and suits are expensive. I feel so bad for this young man. I cannot imagine his pain.

Aww. Poor guy. I'm sure his sincerity and emotion will be more impressive than his shirt.

This case sucks.

 

[gitana1]

heck yes they are. He's got me all teared up as well as the judge! i didn't mean to come off as judgmental. his appearance, as well as the judge giving him a lookover, made me chuckle.

Me too. He's a young guy though, right?

 

[fridaybaker]

The thing is, I don't think her failure to render aid proves any element of manslaughter or murder. It shows her character though.

Gitana, your posts are always excellent! You definitely have that "lawerly" quality, in that you keep keep to logic and facts, separating out emotion, fallacy, etc.

I do quibble a bit with your last comment here, though: My impression of AG is that she was woefully out of her depth as a police officer, trained or not. She was coming off of about 40 hours of work in 4 days, seemingly engrossed in her "after hours life" (who wouldn't be after getting off that schedule!), and as such, and having lived in the building for less than two months (I believe), wasn't noticing much about her surroundings, except that they are seemed similar in general.

She comes upon the door, believing that someone is in her apartment and coming at her, and freaks out, shooting him. Everything immediately after is just shock. It reads to me less like lack of character and more like a person who is significantly unfit, no matter how highly trained, to be in her line of work, which requires functioning in the most extreme situations, despite emotions, etc.

Just my two cents.

 

[Jax49]

Me too. He's a young guy though, right?

Twenty six, iirc. Young for sure, college graduate trying to make it.

 

[Hraefn]

Me too. He's a young guy though, right?

I missed Joshua's (across the hall neighbor of Jean) age if it was mentioned, but he definitely appears to be 25 or younger IMO.