Botham Jean's family files lawsuit against apartments where he was killed
Botham Jean’s family has filed a lawsuit against the apartment complex where the 26-year-old was fatally shot two years ago by former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger.
In their wrongful death lawsuit filed Tuesday, Jean’s family alleges a confusing floor layout and faulty door at South Side Flats contributed to Jean’s death.
Guyger was still in uniform but off-duty when she returned home from a shift and entered Jean’s apartment and shot him on Sept. 6, 2018. She testified at her trial last year that she mistook his apartment for hers and wrongly thought he was a burglar. She was convicted of murder and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
During her trial, multiple residents testified they had gone to the wrong floor and even attempted to enter the wrong apartment prior to the shooting. Investigators found that 71 residents from the third and fourth floors — where Guyger and Jean lived — had done so, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges that a confusing layout and a lack of proper signage made it difficult for residents to tell which floor they were on. Additionally, Jean’s family says a malfunction in Jean’s and other residents’ doors prevented the doors from closing properly, particularly in certain weather conditions.
Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/courts/2020/09/03/botham-jeans-family-files-lawsuit-against-apartments-where-he-was-killed/