The family of a man shot and killed by a Dallas police officer who said she mistook his apartment for her own was awarded nearly $100 million Wednesday in a federal civil trial.
The jury found after a three-day trial that ex-officer Amber Guyger used excessive force in the death of Botham Jean in 2018 and violated his constitutional rights. Jurors returned a verdict against her of $98.65 million.
“This verdict stands as a powerful testament to Botham’s life and the profound injustice of his death,” a statement from Jean’s family’s legal team said. “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.”
Guyger said at the time that after a long work shift, she walked to Jean’s apartment — which was on the fourth floor, directly above hers on the third — and found the door unlocked. She said she thought the apartment was her own when she drew her gun and entered.
Jean, an accountant from the Caribbean island nation of St. Lucia, had been eating a bowl of ice cream when Guyger entered his apartment and shot him.
Guyger was later fired from the Dallas Police Department, found guilty of murder and sentenced to 10 years in prison. She was denied parole earlier this fall, media outlets reported.
The shooting drew widespread attention because of the circumstances surrounding it and because it was one of several shootings of Black men by white police officers.
During closing arguments, attorneys for Jean’s family asked the jury to send a message that Dallas County residents “are going to be safe in our homes,” The Dallas Morning News reported.
Guyger waived her right to participate in the trial, according to court filings, which the family said showed a lack of accountability for her actions.