Botham Jean posed no threat to Amber Guyger at time of shooting, expert testifies

DALLAS - The wrongful death trial of former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger continued on Tuesday.

Guyger is being sued by the family of Botham Jean for killing him in an off-duty shooting in 2018.

The former officer has opted against appearing in court for the civil trial.

Guyger mistakenly entered Jean's apartment, thinking it was hers, and killed him when she thought he was an intruder.

One bullet hit the wall, the other hit Jean in the chest.

Tuesday's testimony was marked by a crime scene reconstruction expert who said Botham Jean posed no threat to Amber Guyger when he was shot.

When Guyger testified at her guilt or innocence trial, she said she fired her weapon when the person in the apartment she thought was hers was coming towards her and said she yelled "show me your hands, show me your hands."

Crime scene reconstruction expert Michael Maloney testified that after studying Dallas Police and Texas Rangers' diagrams of Jean's apartment and the trajectory of the bullets, he does not believe that is the case.

"He was rising from a sitting position, as he began to face the door and she had just entered the kitchen when she fired the two shots. What she said happened does not match the forensic evidence," Maloney said.

Keenon Blair, the first officer who arrived at the fourth floor of South Side Flats apartments after the shooting, was questioned by attorney Daryl K. Washington.

"If she had backed out of that apartment and called for backup would Botham Jean be alive today?" Washington asked.

"Yes, he would," Blair replied.

"If Amber Guyer was not a DPD officer and you arrived at that scene, what would you have done?" Washington asked.

"Put her in handcuffs. Arrested her," Blair replied.

Former U.S. Attorney Richard Roper says for Botham Jean's family putting forth a full case when Guyger has no representation is still important.

"For a victim's family having a civil judgment in their minds might be very important. More worth than money just so they know that she's held responsible, so that could give the deceased family a measure of justice, a sense that they're getting full justice," Roper said.

While Guyger is in prison, with no obvious money, justice for Botham Jean's family means value placed on Botham Jean's life, which was cut short at 26.

"When you're talking about something that is so horrific, being gunned down in your own living room, you're at home and some person just comes in there, I mean eight figures, nine figures are well justified," said Roper.

An economist was expected to end testimony extrapolating Botham Jean's lifetime earnings based on his success trajectory.

That figure is expected to be somewhere between $10 and $13 million.

Closing statements in the trial are set for Wednesday morning.

Botham Jean Shooting

On Sept. 6, 2018, Guyger returned to her home after a more than 13-hour shift and mistook Jean's apartment for her own. Both Guyger and Jean lived in the South Side Flats near Downtown Dallas, about two blocks from the Dallas Police Department. Guyger lived on the third floor, in apartment 1378. Jean lived on the fourth floor, in apartment 1478. 

Guyger said she didn't notice she was on the fourth floor, or the red doormat outside of Jean's apartment door. She attempted to unlock the door and noticed it was ajar. She went into the apartment and found Jean and shot twice, believing he was a burglar inside her apartment. 

She then called 911. Jean was taken to a nearby hospital where he died. 

Guyger was arrested three days later. She was placed on paid administrative leave and was fired from the Dallas Police Department 18 days later.

In 2019, Guyger was convicted of murdering Jean and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. 

In Oct. 2024, she was denied parole after serving half of her sentence. She first became eligible for parole on Sept. 29, 2024. More than 6,000 people, including Jean's family and the Dallas County District Attorney, signed an online petition against Guyger's parole request. 

Her next parole hearing is set for 2026 and her release date is Sept. 29, 2029. She is being held at a state prison in Gatesville, Texas.

Who was Botham Jean?

According to court documents, Jean graduated from the top of his class in Castries, St. Lucia and came to the United States to attend Harding University in Arkansas. 

The court documents show Jean's family says he was a rising star at one of the nation's leading professional services firms as an accountant. He was also a worship leader in the international Church of Christ, serving the Dallas West Church of Christ. His family says he hoped to one day return to the nation of Saint Lucia and run for the position of Prime Minister. 

Who is Amber Guyger?

Amber Renee Guyger was 30 years old at the time of the shooting. She had been on the Dallas police force for nearly five years.