A jury has been seated in the civil lawsuit filed against Amber Guyger, the former Dallas Police Department officer convicted of fatally shooting Botham Jean in his own apartment six years ago.
The trial date was scheduled for Nov. 18 following a proceeding in court Thursday.
Guyger mistook Jean’s apartment for her own the night of Sept. 6, 2018. She lived on the third floor of the South Side Flats building, while Jean lived on the fourth. Guyger was fired from DPD a few weeks after the killing and initially jailed on a manslaughter charge—then later, she was indicted for murder.
Daryl K. Washington, the family’s legal counsel, said Thursday that the family obviously “prefers that Botham was still with them,” but the case is “extremely important.”
“[The suit] will show that Amber destroyed Botham’s life, but also [reveal] the shortcomings of the Dallas Police and city of Dallas,” he said.
After serving half of her 10-year sentence in a Gatesville prison, Guyger was eligible for parole in late September, but then denied in early October.
Guyger is not expected to be present in the courtroom for the civil proceeding.
Washington said he expects the trial for the civil suit to last about a week, including jury deliberation. He said through this suit he wants the jury to “send a message not just to Amber but to all police who use excessive force.”
“We hope bringing this case to trial can prevent another Botham from happening,” Washington said.
