John Creuzot Talked about Botham Jean Shooting Case – The New Elected Dallas District County Attorney, John Creuzot has been taken a case of Botham Jean in November 2018 even though he had not been sworn yet. The case of Botham Jean has been in the public attention doubting Texas criminal justice system.
The Case
A 26-year-old African American, Botham Jean was shot and killed by 30-year-old Office Amber Guyger. Guyger confessed that she mistook Jean’s apartment as her own and thought that he was an intruder. The incident happened around 10.00 pm in South Side Flats, Cedars. Even though Guyger called 911, Jean died in the Baylor University Medical Center. On September 9, Guyger was charged with manslaughter and fired by Chief Hall two weeks after. Jean’s family filed a federal suit to seek the justice of Jean’s death. Public felt that there is injustice on how the police taking this case including why she turned herself in after three days of the incident, therefore there are assumptions that she had time to delete her social media account as well moved from her apartment.
Possibility on Changing to Murder Charge
In one of his interviews, Creuzot talked about the difference between manslaughter and murder charge. Manslaughter means if someone acted irresponsibly and make another person died and murder means that someone acted purposely and know that the action that he or she will do can cause someone’s death. In Botham Jean’s case, he said that most facts support a murder charge instead of a manslaughter charge.
Creuzot also stated that some forces that have been done by police officers to African-Americans, mostly men and people of colour is beyond necessary. Therefore, his hope of criminal justice reform means to reduce mass incarceration and he has a program which could be implemented for low-level criminal offenders and if they could finish the program, they could get the case to be dismissed.
Justice for Botham Jean
On November 26, a grand jury in Dallas County started hearing the case with pieces of evidence against Guyger. Four days after the first hearing, a grand jury has given the prosecution to Officer Amber Guyger for a murder charge. The panel stated that evidence was enough that manslaughter charge is not enough of what she has done to Botham Jean. With this new charge, Guyger could have a life sentence in jail.
With this new charge, there is a new hope for Jean’s family that Amber Guyger will not get light punishment as if an initial manslaughter charge. Jean’s mother, Allison stated that she is looking forward for a conviction for Amber Guyger hopefully a proper penalty.