DALLAS -- A grand jury indicted a former Dallas police officer on Friday for murder in the killing of her unarmed neighbor.
- Amber Guyger arrest on manslaughter charge
- Case received heavy criticism
- Attorney allowed grand jury to decide on more serious charge
Amber Guyger was arrested on a manslaughter charge three days after the September 6 shooting of 26-year-old Botham Jean.
She originally claimed she mistakenly went to his apartment rather than her own when she shot him.
Guyger told investigators that after finishing her shift, she returned home in uniform and parked on the fourth floor of her apartment complex's garage, rather than the third floor, where her unit was located, according to an affidavit prepared by the Texas Rangers.
She said she got to what she thought was her apartment (Jean's was directly above hers) and found the door ajar. She opened it to find a figure standing in the darkness. She said she pulled her gun and fired twice after the person ignored her commands.
Guyger has since been fired from the department and Jean's family has filed a lawsuit against Guyger and the City of Dallas.
The federal suit argues Guyger used excessive force in the shooting and that the department did not give her adequate training.
The circumstances of the shooting sparked national outrage and led many to question Gugyer's account of what happened. Critics, including Jean's family, also wondered why it took three days for Guyger to be charged, why she wasn't taken into custody immediately after the shooting and whether race played a factor in her decision to use deadly force.
In response to criticism that the original manslaughter charge was too lenient, Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson said the grand jury could decide on the more serious charge of murder, which it did.