Key facts
- Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger was granted parole on Thursday.
- Guyger was serving a 10-year sentence for the 2018 murder of Botham Jean.
- The Texas Board of Pardons and Parole cited Guyger's satisfactory institutional adjustment.
- Jean's family attorney, Lee Merritt, stated the family strongly opposed the parole decision.
Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger was granted parole on Thursday, October 1, after serving seven years of a 10-year sentence for the 2018 shooting death of her neighbor, Botham Jean. Guyger, who is white, was convicted of murder in 2019 for mistakenly entering Jean's apartment and shooting him. The incident sparked protests against police brutality. The Texas Board of Pardons and Parole, appointed by Governor Greg Abbott, stated that Guyger's record did not include a pattern of violent arrests or convictions and that she maintained satisfactory institutional adjustment. Lee Merritt, an attorney for Jean's family, expressed strong opposition to the parole, stating that justice cannot be selective and accountability must have meaning for everyone. Prosecutors had initially sought a 28-year sentence. During her trial, Guyger testified that she believed her life was in danger and expressed regret for shooting Jean, though prosecutors presented text messages that they argued painted her as racist. She did not administer first aid to Jean after the shooting, though she did call 911.