Social Justice
$98 million awarded to family of Botham Jean, man shot in his home by ex-police officer
A jury has ordered former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger to pay $98 million after it found that she used excessive force in the fatal shooting of Botham Jean in his home six years ago.
The family of Botham Jean has been awarded a hefty judgment for the killing of the unarmed Dallas accountant.
Botham Jean judgment
On Wednesday, November 20, a jury ordered former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger to pay $98 million after it found that she used excessive force in the fatal shooting of Botham Jean in his home six years ago.
The civil judgment against Guyger, 36, comes five years after she was convicted of murder in the 2018 killing of Jean and sentenced to a decade in prison.
The jury found that Guyger acted with “malice, willfulness, or callous and reckless indifference” to Jean’s safety and rights and awarded his family $60 million in punitive damages, CBS News reports.
An additional $38 million was awarded in compensatory damages for mental anguish, loss of earnings and other claims, the document shows.
Guyger reportedly did not attend the three-day trial, nor did she have a lawyer present, according to NBC Dallas-Fort Worth. The attorney who represented her in her criminal trial told the station that she didn’t have the money to hire a lawyer.
Jean’s family had sought $54 million in damages, according to NBC Dallas Fort-Worth.
Incident
Jean, 26, was in his apartment, eating ice cream on Sept. 6, 2018, when Guyger, who lived on the floor above him, walked into his apartment, thinking it was her own. Guyger, who was off duty but in uniform, said she believed Jean was an intruder and shot him.
Real stories. Real impact. Straight to your inbox. Join thousands others. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter today!
Follow us on Facebook, X, TikTok, Instagram
Boston’s Black Market Nubian faces April 30 closure as community mobilizes to save cultural hub
Man charged in March crash that killed beloved New Jersey mother
Ashlee Jenae’s father launches GoFundMe to help family bury late influencer
Pregnant rapper and nursing student Qualeisha “Siditty” Barnes fatally shot in Atlanta
Kyren Lacy’s parents file wrongful death lawsuit against Louisiana State Police
Shaquille O’Neal pays for funeral costs for 12‑year‑old Jada West, Georgia officials say
New Jersey police reach $4 million settlement with children of woman killed by ex-husband, a former police officer
Asbury Park High School: Crossover event esports and history with Tina Watson
Jury awards California woman $15 million after supervisor called her n-word
GoFundMe launched for Cleveland deacon recovering after brutal attack outside church
OWN greenlights first-ever ‘Belle Collective’ spinoff Belle Collective: Birmingham
Hazel Scott’s legacy returns to Harlem in free outdoor film screening
Olympic Gymnast Frederick Richard sets world record, raises $50K for Ugandan youth
Renee Ferguson, trailblazing investigative journalist, dies at 75
“AfroPoP Digital Shorts” returns to the land with “Sweet Samara,” climate and abolitionist film
-
Crime & Justice2 weeks agoGoFundMe launched for Cleveland deacon recovering after brutal attack outside church
-
Crime & Justice2 weeks agoKansas City woman shot five times during Uber ride
-
Community1 week agoDallas barber creates sensory‑friendly haircut experiences for neurodivergent children
-
Community1 week agoGoFundMe launched for family of 7‑month‑old girl killed in Brooklyn shooting
-
Social Justice2 weeks agoWashington D.C. Airbnb squatter sues homeowner for $500,000
-
Crime & Justice2 weeks agoFlorida Vice Mayor found slain at home was sister of Parkland survivor who died by suicide
-
In Memoriam2 weeks agoDee Freeman, veteran actress known for The Young and the Restless and Sistas, dies at 66
-
Community1 week agoArkansas mother fights for her life as she awaits rare dual organ transplant
-
Culture2 weeks agoOWN to premiere “One Golden Summer”, an award-winning film about a Chicago little league team’s rise and fall
-
Science2 weeks agoVictor Glover makes history on Artemis II as crew travels toward the moon