Dallas police officer who shot neighbour fired by department
A white Dallas police officer who fatally shot her black neighbour inside his own apartment has been fired.
Court records show Officer Amber Guyger said she thought she had encountered a burglar inside her own home. She was arrested three days later and is currently out on bail.
Police Chief U Renee Hall dismissed Officer Guyger during a hearing on Monday, according to the Police Department.
Guyger is charged with manslaughter in the September 6 shooting which left 26-year-old Botham Jean dead, and she was fired because of her arrest, according to the department.
A statement from police said an internal investigation concluded that on September 9, Guyger, a four-year veteran of the force, "engaged in adverse conduct when she was arrested for Manslaughter".
Dallas police spokesman Sergeant Warren Mitchell later said when an officer has been arrested for a crime, "adverse conduct" is often cited in the officer’s termination.
Sgt Mitchell described this procedure as "conduct which adversely affects the (morale) or efficiency of the Department or which has a tendency to adversely affect, lower, destroy public respect and confidence in the Department or officer".
One of the lawyers for Jean’s family, Lee Merritt, said Mr Jean was being buried Monday in St Lucia.
The family’s lawyers, along with protesters, have been calling for Guyger to be fired since the shooting.
In a statement, the lawyers said they see the termination as an initial victory.
"However, we are committed to seeing through the next steps of the process of a proper murder indictment, conviction and appropriate sentencing," they said in the statement.
Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson has said the case will be presented to a grand jury, which could decide a more serious charge than manslaughter.
During a conference call with Mr Jean’s parents and their lawyers on Sunday, Ms Hall reported she intended to fire Guyger and explained the delay in the action, according to the family’s lawyers in their statement.
Days before the firing, Ms Hall said in a statement that she had not taken action against Guyger because she did not want to interfere with the ongoing criminal investigation.
There are conflicting narratives over what led up to the shooting.
Guyger told investigators that she had just ended a shift when she returned in uniform to the South Side Flats apartment complex where she lived.
She said when she put her key in the apartment door, which was unlocked and slightly ajar, it opened, according to her statement.
According to Guyger's account, the lights were off inside, and she saw a figure in the darkness which cast a large silhouette across the room.
Guyger said she concluded her apartment was being burgled and gave verbal commands to the person, who ignored them.
The former officer said she then drew her weapon and fired twice, called 911 and when asked where she was, Guyger returned to the front door to see she was in the wrong unit - the 911 tapes have not been released.
But according to an official statement for a search warrant, Mr Jean "confronted the officer at the door".
After the shooting, Guyger’s blood was drawn to be tested for alcohol and drugs, according to Ms Hall. Authorities have not released results.