Nine arrested after Sunday protest, officials urge patience as district attorney investigates
Protests on Sunday near AT&T Stadium in Arlington over the killing of Botham Jean by an off-duty Dallas police officer and the killing of another man last week by Fort Worth police ended with nine people being arrested.
The nine were charged with a Class B misdemeanor for obstructing or blocking a pathway, a charge that can carry up to six months in jail and a $2,000 fine.
Police say the protesters were warned three times -- first at Gate E outside the stadium, then on a frontage road and finally when they locked arms at Randol Mill and Collins.
“These protesters are encouraged by the Jean family I’m happy to do that as their attorney the protests the style that they’ve gone about protesting is in the spirit of peaceful protests it’s something that is deeply American,” said Lee Merritt, Jean family attorney.
Merritt compared the time the nine have spent in jail, nearly a day for a Class B misdemeanor, to the time Amber Guyger was behind bars after turning herself in to the Kaufman County Jail for the killing of Jean.
“She sat there for a few hours on a manslaughter charge. I mean somebody was killed and then bonded out with not a whole lot of fanfare,” Merritt said.
State Senator Royce West (D-Dallas) said he understands the frustration, but cautions that justice requires patience.
“Don’t expect this to come to trial tomorrow because it’s not we know exactly how long it took for Roy Oliver to come to trial and that’s exactly what’s gonna happen here but we will not forget Botham Jean,” West said.
The former Balch Springs police officer was recently sentenced to fifteen years for killing teen Jordan Edwards. That case took two and a half months to get to a grand jury -- record time for an officer involved shooting case.
Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson released a statement on Monday afternoon detailing the work her office is doing and saying she cannot be part of a rush to judgment.
"Now is the time to ask for calm in our communities until all the facts are known and presented to a Grand Jury. I also am asking citizens to have faith and patience during the investigation process. You have my word that no stone will be left unturned as we work to uncover all the facts in this case," Johnson said.
Johnson said she cannot provide a timeline on when the case will be in front of a grand jury because the investigation needs to take place first.
"I want the public to know that I have met with the Jean family on numerous occasions and remain in contact with them. I have assured them that my office is dedicated to uncovering the truth about what happened to their loved one," Johnson said.
Protesters on Sunday said they wanted two things: Amber Guyger fired from the Dallas Police Department and the charge against her upped to murder in the fatal shooting of Jean.
Merritt said people will continue to speak out and take to the streets.
“They’re not gonna intimidate people from participating and I want to be clear … the family has encouraged this,” Merritt said.