Lost in the weed
Outrage in focus on cop-shoot vic’s stash
The trial of Botham Jean in the court of public opinion is officially underway.
Days after Jean was gunned down in his Dallas apartment by an off-duty police officer, authorities revealed that a search of his apartment turned up two fired cartridge casings, a black backpack with police equipment and paperwork — as well as 10.4 grams of marijuana.
The marijuana was the focus of a widely panned tweet by Fox 4 News in Dallas — “DEVELOPING: Search warrant: Marijuana found in Botham Jean’s apartment after deadly shooting” — which by Friday evening had 40,000 comments, but only 1,400 retweets and 3,100 likes.
It also set off a wave of criticism from activists and lawyers who saw it as an attempt to shift blame from the the off-duty cop, who has since been charged with manslaughter.
“As someone pointed out-reported Did anyone check HER apartment? Drug test HER? She killed HIM!” actress Patricia Arquette wrote.
Dr. Heather Thompson, professor of history, Afro-American and African studies at the University of Michigan, blasted the release of drug evidence in particular as “disgraceful” and questioned its coverage by media.
“This is what always happens, which is to blame the victim of police violence,” she said. “There are many facts that one can report — we could have reported his religion, we could have p how many y times he was married. We could have reported on how many degrees he had.”
Jean was fatally shot on Sept. 6 by Dallas County Police Officer Amber Guyger, who said she mistakenly entered his apartment thinking it was her own.
She fired two shots at Jean, saying she thought he was a burglar.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain murky. The arrest affidavit, written by Officer David Armstrong of the Texas Rangers, and the arrest warrant written on Sept. 7 offer contradicting accounts of the deadly confrontation.
According to the affidavit, based primarily on Guyger’s account, the officer “inserted a unique door key, with an electronic chip, into the door key hole. The door, which was slightly ajar prior to Guyger’s arrival, fully opened under the force of the key insertion.” She then entered the apartment and twice opened fire when she spotted Jean inside.
The warrant, written before Guyger was interviewed, alternatively said Jean “confronted the officer at the door,” according to the Star-Telegram. “A neighbor stated he heard an exchange of words, immediately followed by at least two gunshots.”
Evidence collected from Jean’s apartment does support Guyger’s account that she stood across the room when she fatally shot the Harding University graduate. It’s still unclear though, whether the door was unlocked, according to the Dallas Morning News.