Witnesses Dispute Cop’s Account in Fatal Shooting of Botham Jean, Attorney Says

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Some witnesses in the fatal shooting of Botham Jean have shared some interesting accounts.

26-year-old  Botham Jean was fatally shot by off-duty Dallas police officer, Amber Guyger, after the cop said she had mistaken Jean’s apartment as hers.

Guyger has been charged with manslaughter and was released on $300,000 bond. Her case now heads to a grand jury where her charges could be upped to murder, reports CBS News.

Botham Jean Witnesses Accounts

According to the arrest warrant, Guyger said she went to Jean’s fourth floor apartment, mistaking it for her third floor apartment which is directly below.

Guyger says the door was “ajar”, and upon entering saw a “dark silhouette”. After giving “verbal commands that were ignored”, Guyger says she fired her weapon twice, hitting Jean in the torso. Guyger said it wasn’t until she turned the lights on and realized the apartment wasn’t hers. She immediately called 911.

Attorneys for Jean’s family say two witness accounts contradict Guyger’s story.

“They heard knocking down the hallway followed by a woman’s voice that they believe to be officer Guyger saying, ‘Let me in. Let me in,'” attorney Lee Merritt said.

The family’s attorneys say one of the witnesses then heard gunshots followed by a man’s voice.

Allison Jean wants to know what happened to her son. “I’m not satisfied that we have all the answers,” Allison said.

“There is really no reason why a mother should have to wait until the conclusion of an investigation to know what happened to her child,” said Daryl Washington, another one of the family’s attorneys.

Investigation

The Texas Rangers, who have been called in to lead an independent investigation, have been tip-lipped on the investigation. Jean’s family attorney says Botham Jean was unarmed.

Botham Jean’s funeral is scheduled for Thursday at a church in Richardson, Texas.