*It’s about to go down. We’re referring to the trial of a former Dallas, Texas police officer accused of fatally shooting a 26-year-old man in his own apartment.
Of course, there’s much more to the story. First, the ex-officer, Amber Guyger, is white and the man she killed was black and unarmed. Secondly, Guyger shot Botham “Bo” Jean after mistaking his apartment for her own and wrongly suspecting he was a burglar.
As a result of the incident, which happened Sept. 6, 2018, at the South Side Flats apartment complex, Guyger has been charged with murder.
“Anytime you bring a case against a police officer it’s difficult anywhere in the country because there’s so much automatic credibility given to law enforcement officers,” Lee Merritt, an attorney representing Jean’s loved ones, told ABC News on Sunday.
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Merritt said he is hoping the judge presiding over the case rejects Guyger’s attempt to use Texas’ Castle Doctrine as a defense. Similar to Florida’s “stand your ground” law, the Castle Doctrine allows people to use lethal force to defend themselves from harm that presents itself in the comfort of their own home.
“Of course that’s tricky because we know Amber Guyger was not in her own home,” Merritt said.
He said if the judge refuses to instruct the jury on the Castle Doctrine, Guyger is likely to be convicted.
Guyger was initially arrested and charged with manslaughter. But a Dallas County grand jury later indicted her on one count of murder.
Opening arguments in the case are expected to begin today after a jury was picked earlier this month to hear the case.
Read/learn more at ABC News via MSN News.
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