Guilty Verdict in Dallas Shooting Highlights Need for Broader Reforms

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shin Inouye, [email protected], 202.869.0398

WASHINGTON – Lynda Garcia, policing campaign director of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger being found guilty of murder in the shooting death of Botham Jean:

“Former officer Guyger was terminated appropriately, prosecuted fairly and, now, has been convicted judiciously. In shooting and killing Botham Jean in his own home, Guyger betrayed her community and violated the trust contract between officers and the people who endow them with the power to guard their safety. This guilty verdict is an important step in restoring faith in our criminal-legal system and ensuring that all police officers are held to a higher standard. It reinforces the message that no one is above the law. Although this decision will not bring their son back, the Jean family saw justice served today. Our thoughts are with them, and with every family that has endured officer involved violence.”

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 220 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.