DALLAS – The white Dallas officer who mistakenly entered her black neighbor’s apartment in September, and killed him, thinking he was an intruder in her own home, told emergency dispatchers “I’m going to lose my job,” in a 911 call after the shooting occurred.
Amber Guyger, who was charged with manslaughter after the shooting on Sept. 6, 2018 can also be heard saying “I thought it was my apartment” 20 times during the nearly 6-minute phone recording obtained by WFAA.
Guyger, who had been with the Dallas Police Department for four years before she was fired after the incident, lived in the same apartment complex as the 26-year-old victim, Botham Jean. Their apartments were on separate floors vertical to each other.
“I’m an off duty officer. I thought I was in my apartment and I shot a guy thinking he was, thinking it was my apartment,” she says in the call.
The attorney representing Jean’s family, Daryl Washington, told Fox News on Tuesday, the phone call confirmed “what we’ve known all the time.”
“At no time did she feel she was in danger or anyone else was in danger,” said Washington of Guyger, pointing to the fact that she never mentioned in the phone call that she believed Jean possessed a firearm or that he had charged at her in any way. However, it appears unexplainable how Washington is able to know what kind of fear she experienced, regardless of what is known after the fact.
Washington also claimed that Guyger seemed more upset over losing her job than shooting Jean.
“Even if she made an honest mistake, that would not be your first thought,” he said.
At 9:59 p.m. Guyger reportedly parked on the fourth floor of the Southside Flats apartment complex by accident, even though her apartment is located on the third floor. She then entered Jean’s apartment through the partially ajar front door and drew her handgun when she noticed “a large silhouette” in the apartment, according to the police arrest warrant affidavit that recounted Guyger’s version of events. Jean ignored her verbal commands and she shot at him twice, hitting him once, fatally, in the torso.
“I thought it was my apartment. I thought it was my apartment. I could have sworn I parked on the third floor,” Guyger can be heard saying in the 911 call.
The former officer’s blood was drawn at the scene of the shooting to test for drugs and alcohol. To this point the results have not been released.
“I’m so tired,” Guyger said in the phone call, seeming confused as to how she ended up in the wrong apartment.
“Oh my god. I’m done. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry,” she said, seemingly to Jean, who was born and raised on the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia.
Her trial is set to begin Monday, Aug. 12.
