DALLAS A witness in the murder trial of a white Dallas police officer who fatally shot her black neighbor has been killed in a shooting, the Dallas Morning News reported, citing authorities.
The newspaper reported that authorities said Joshua Brown, who lived in the same apartment complex as Amber Guyger and Botham Jean, was shot and killed Friday in Dallas. Guyger was still in her police uniform after a long shift when, according to her trial testimony, she mistook Jeans apartment for her own one floor below and shot him after pushing open his unlocked door and thinking he was a burglar.
Brown, 28, testified in Guygers trial about the September 2018 night that Jean was killed, saying he was in a hallway on the fourth floor, where he and Jean lived. He said he heard what sounded like two people meeting by surprise and then two gunshots.
Brown, who became emotional at times and used his T-shirt and tissue to wipe his tears, said he had met Jean, a 26-year-old accountant from the Caribbean island nation of St. Lucia, for the first time earlier that day.
Guyger, 31, was fired from the department soon after the shooting. She was convicted Tuesday and sentenced the next day to 10 years in prison.
The newspaper did not cite authorities by name for confirmation of Browns death. A Dallas police spokesman on Saturday would not confirm to The Associated Press that it was Brown who was shot Friday. He said the Dallas County Medical Examiners Office would determine the identification Sunday.
Police said in a news release that they responded to the shooting shortly after 10:30 p.m. Friday at an apartment complex different from the one where Jean was killed. They said several witnesses flagged officers down when they arrived and directed them to an apartment parking lot where the man who was shot was lying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds.
The man was taken to a hospital, where he died.
Witnesses told police they heard several gunshots and saw a silver four-door sedan speeding out of the parking lot, according to the police news release.
Lee Merritt, a lawyer for the Jean family, said in a tweet Saturday that he spoke with Browns mother and that she is devastated.
We all are, Merritt said. Joshua Brown was a key witness in the murder of Botham Jean that helped put Amber Guyger away. We need answers.
In a statement he included with the tweet, he said authorities have not identified a suspect or determined a motive.
Brown deserves the same justice he sought to ensure the Jean family, Merritt said in the statement.
Dallas County prosecutor Jason Hermus said Brown bravely came forward to testify when others wouldnt, according to the newspaper.
If we had more people like him, we would have a better world, said Hermus, who was lead prosecutor in the case. Sign up for Daily Newslett
#1: BTP Holdings To: Horse, Pinguinite (#0)
I grew up in a tough neighborhood in Chicago. I knew several people who were shot and killed.
I made it through all that and got a good job working for the State of Illinois on highways because I was working with the Republican Committeeman. Yes, that's right, a Republican in Chicago.
Thanks Neil, for fixing the glitch. Did you know pinguinite .com has been hacked? ;)
BTP Holdings posted on 2019-10-06 11:18:16 Reply Private Reply
#2: Lod To: Horse (#0)
Lod posted on 2019-10-06 11:23:18 Reply Private Reply
#3: Pinguinite To: Lod (#2)
Or it was done by blacks that want to make it look like it was done by white people for revenge for putting a cop in jail.
Pinguinite posted on 2019-10-06 11:46:02 Reply Private Reply