Sept. 6, 2024 marks 6 years since Botham Jean was killed in Dallas apartment
DALLAS - Friday marks the six-year anniversary of the night Botham Jean was shot and killed in his own apartment.
The Dallas man was shot to death in his apartment living room on Sept. 6, 2018 by then Dallas police Officer Amber Guyger.
Guyger later told authorities she confused his apartment for her own; her body camera was not recording during the shooting because she was off duty.
The shooting event drew both fury and national attention, and set off a stream of protests across the city of Dallas.
Guyger was later convicted of murder and sentenced to 10 years in prison in September 2019.
While she appealed the conviction, a Texas appeals court upheld the murder conviction in 2022.
She will be eligible for parole on Sept. 29.
A Texas bill on increased police accountability in honor of Jean was signed into law in 2021.
HB 929, authored by State Rep. Carl Sherman, DeSoto, passed both chambers at the Texas Capitol with bipartisan support.
The lawmaker told CBS News Texas the Botham Jean Act amplified a need for additional reform with a focus on law enforcement policies and procedures regarding body-worn cameras. Under the law, the cameras must remain activated the entire time law enforcement officers are taking part in investigations; it also limits the timeframes that recordings can be stopped.
"It's a game of inches," Sherman said in 2021. "But we've got to keep pushing forward, keep getting gains and we will continue to fight for more change."
Following his death, Botham Jean has been honored across Dallas in a variety of ways, including a street named in his honor.
Botham Jean Boulevard covers a stretch of South Lamar Street from I-30 to South Central Expressway, and includes the Dallas Police Department headquarters and the South Side Flats, where Jean lived.
A foundation in Jean's name, The Botham Jean Foundation, will honor the life and legacy of Jean with a fundraising gala on Sept. 21. Proceeds from the annual Red Tie Gala go towards community outreach programs and other missionary work.
