Off-duty officer who shot and killed neighbor charged with manslaughter
DALLAS - The Dallas Police Officer who shot and killed a man when she says she mistook his apartment unit for hers was arrested Sunday evening and charged with manslaughter. Around the same time, the Texas Rangers handed the investigation over to the Dallas County District Attorney's office.
Manslaughter is the same charge the Dallas Police Department had initially planned on bringing against 30-year-old Amber Guyger. At the time, the the Texas Rangers were leading the investigation and asked the department on Saturday to hold off on that charge.
Guyger was arrested in Kaufman County and taken to the Kaufman County Jail. She posted bond the $300,000 bond a few hours later.
FOX4's Clarice Tinsley spoke exclusively with Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings Sunday night about the situation. He mentioned the rumors swirling around the incident and accused one Dallas City councilman of helping spread them.
"Councilman Kingston wrote a Facebook post that is just blatantly untrue, and that does not help us in public safety. It does not help us make a better city, so I was very disappointed about that," said Mayor Rawlings.
The mayor says Kingston's Facebook posts involved claims that judges were arguing with city leaders about warrants, that the Texas Rangers did not want to take the case and that Dallas Police Chief Reneé, Hall was making decisions for reasons that were untrue.
Rawlings says he has not spoken personally to Councilman Kingston about the post but he plans to take the matter up when the council is assembled.
Police say Guyger had just finished her 12-hour shift Thursday night and entered what she believed was her own apartment at the South Side Flats.
Exact details of the shooting are still unclear, but Officer Guyger says she ran into a man who she didn’t recognize and ended up shooting him in his own apartment. She called 911 afterward, police said.
Responding officers found 26-year-old Botham Shem Jean badly wounded. He was taken to the hospital and died a short time later. Jean is from the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia. His family arrived in Dallas Friday night and have attended services and vigils in his memory.
Dallas County D.A. Faith Johnson will hold a news conference on Monday about her office's taking charge of the investigation.
Also on Monday, the prime minister and ambassador of St. Lucia will be in Dallas to meet with Jean's family, then go to Dallas City Hall for a flag ceremony. The city does not yet have a flag from the island so it will be dedicated in Jean's memory.