Photo: Attorney Ben Crump
Nearly $100 million has been awarded to the family of a Black man who was shot and killed by a Dallas police officer who said she mistook his apartment for her own.
On Wednesday (November 20), a jury found that ex-Dallas officer Amber Guyger used excessive force and violated the constitutional rights of Botham Jean in his 2018 death, per the Associated Press. Jurors awarded Jean's family $98.65 million.
"This verdict stands as a powerful testament to Botham's life and the profound injustice of his death," lawyers for Jean's family said in a statement. "This case laid bare critical issues of racial bias and police accountability that cannot be ignored. Today's verdict sends a clear message that law enforcement officers who commit crimes cannot be insulated from the consequences of their actions."
In 2018, Guyger said she accidentally walked into Jean's apartment, believing it hers, after a long work shift. Jean's apartment, which was on the fourth floor, directly above hers on the third, was unlocked when Guyger approached with her gun drawn.
Jean, an account from St. Lucia, was eating ice cream when Guyger opened fire. Following the fatal shooting, Guyger was fired from the Dallas Police Department. She was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
During a three-day trial for the federal civil case, attorneys for Jean's family asked jurors to show that Dallas County residents "are going to be safe in our homes" through their verdict.
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