Former Police Officer Amber Guyger Sentenced to 10 Years In Prison

Photo Credit: Dallas County Sheriff’s Department via AP

Amber Guyger was found guilty by a jury yesterday, and was just sentenced to 10 years in prison for the murder of her neighbor Botham Jean.

Despite the guilty verdict being considered a victory by many; after her sentencing today, people are now understandably, and equally, both enraged and discouraged. Enraged, because had the roles been reversed, a black man killing a white woman, this trial would have likely gone very very differently. Discouraged because, from the moment it was revealed that a black judge would be presiding over the case, all the way to her guilty verdict; people thought that maybe, just maybe, this time would be different.

Since the night of Sept 6th 2018, the 31-year-old former Dallas police officer maintains that when she came home from work, she believed Jean to be an intruder in her apartment. Which is what led her to fatally shoot him. Jean, was a 26-year-old, accountant, who was in fact in his own apartment; just watching TV and eating ice cream.

Throughout the trial, the prosecutors revealed that Guyger has a past history of racist and violent, texts and social media posts. Prosecutors asked jurors to consider a 28-year sentence, Jean would have been 28 last Sunday.

Guyger’s sentence will start immediately. She’ll be eligible for parole after 7 years. Take a look at some reactions on Twitter below:

Black people in jail have received 20 years for selling weed.

But go off. #AmberGuyger

— Preston Mitchum (@PrestonMitchum) October 2, 2019

Just ask yourself this question honestly.

If a Black Man walked into a White woman's apartment & shot her dead while she was eating ice-cream. Is he getting 10 years? Is he even breathing right now?

This system was built for one, at the expense of the other. #AmberGuyger

— Francis Maxwell (@francismmaxwell) October 2, 2019

At age 16, Korey Wise of the #Exonerated5 spent almost 14 yrs in jail for crimes he did not commit and maintained his innocence at every stage.

Former Dallas cop #AmberGuyger, age 31, murdered Botham Jean in his own apartment and was sentenced to 10 years.#JusticeForBotham pic.twitter.com/dQgjiJUzgv

— Kristen Clarke (@KristenClarkeJD) October 2, 2019

My state gave a woman 5 years in prison for trying to vote on probation. #AmberGuyger will be facing 10 years with parole eligibility at 5 years in the same state for murdering an unarmed black man in his own home. Don’t ever say the criminal justice system is fair.

— Joshua Misrack (@JoshuaMisrack) October 2, 2019