Amber Guyger, the ex-Texas police officer found guilty of murdering her upstairs neighbor, Botham Jean, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Wednesday for the September 2018 slaying.
Guyger, 31, was sentenced a day after she was convicted for last year’s fatal shooting. At sentencing, the jury rejected the defense’s request to find that Guyger committed a crime of sudden passion—something they also did when they convicted Guyger of murder over manslaughter or criminally-negligent homicide.
Guyger—who’s eligible for parole after five years—faced anywhere from 2 to 99 years for murdering Jean, 26, in his Dallas apartment. While Guyger claimed Jean was walking aggressively towards her when she opened fire, prosecutors argued that the victim was either sitting down or cowering when the then-cop shot him.
Indicted on murder charges late last year, Guyger claimed she fatally shot Jean in his apartment after mistaking his unit for hers. She told police that she had finished a long shift when she parked her car on the fourth floor of her apartment building, instead of on the third floor where she lived.
Guyger said the door was slightly ajar when she placed the key into the keyhole, causing the door to open further. Documents stated that she claimed she saw a “large silhouette” and gave it verbal commands before opening fire, fatally wounding Jean in his torso.
While officials denied the media’s requests for the 911 call Guyger placed on the night of the shooting and Jean’s autopsy report, the September 6 call was leaked in late April. She was fired from the Dallas Police Department several weeks after the fatal shooting.
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Featured Image: Amber Guyger/Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office; Botham Jean/Facebook]
