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Police Corruption ‘Must Stop,’ Botham Jean’s Mother Says After Cop Sentenced To 10 Years

Tony Gutierrez
/
Associated Press
Allison Jean, center, mother of Botham Jean, made comments during a news conference Wednesday. Among those looking on: attorneys Ben Crump, left, Lee Merritt, rear, and Daryl Washington, right.

Botham Jean's mother says the fight for justice isn't over. That's after her son's killer -- Amber Guyger -- was sentenced to 10 years in prison. 

Allison Jean, spoke outside the Dallas County courtroom Wednesday afternoon, soon after the jury came down with the sentence.

She's calling for better training at the Dallas Police Department. Jean says if Guyger had received proper police training, her son would still be alive.

 

"That 10 years in prison is 10 years for her reflection and for her to change her life, but there is much more to be done,” Jean said. “The corruption that we saw during this process must stop."

Botham Jean, a 26-year-old accountant, was shot and killed by Guyger in his own home. She claimed she mistook his apartment for her own.

Many expected a longer prison sentence for Guyger. Prosecutors asked the jury to give her at least 28 years. That's how old Botham Jean would be if he were alive today. 

Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot says he accepts the jury's decision.

“Personally, I expected perhaps longer, but I respect what they did,” Creuzot said. “They gave us their time. They gave this case their attention, and they reached what they thought was a just verdict.”

Defense attorneys did not immediately address the media.

Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall told reporters Wednesday evening she's concerned about testimony that officers may have tampered with evidence in the case.

“What you saw and heard was disheartening,” Hall said, adding that perceptions of the Dallas Police Department and law enforcement in general were damaged by the trial’s revelations.

She says she wants to rebuild trust with the community.

KERA’s Christopher Connelly contributed to this report.

Syeda Hasan is the Elections Editor and Reporter at KERA. Before moving into that role, she covered mental health at the station. A Houston native, her journalism career has taken her to public radio newsrooms around Texas.