Ex-officer who killed neighbor in his own apartment wants her murder conviction overturned

The former Dallas police officer who shot and killed her neighbor inside his apartment, mistaking it for her own, is seeking to have her murder conviction overturned and 10-year prison sentence reversed.

Amber Guyger’s September 2018 shooting of Botham Jean was a justifiable act of self-defense, her attorney claimed in a brief filed to a Texas appeals court, because she believed the 26-year-old accountant was an intruder in her home. The lawyer acknowledged that the consequences were “tragic” but insisted that the ex-officer “acted reasonably” based on her mistaken belief.

“Although she intentionally and knowingly caused Jean’s death,” wrote attorney Michael Mowla, “she had the right to act in deadly force in self-defense since her belief that deadly force was immediately necessary was reasonable under the circumstances.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/04/27/amber-guyger-appeal/

Gun ownership among Black men and women skyrockets

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, police injustice and national unrest, more Black women and men have been purchasing guns and joining firearms groups.

A report produced by the Firearm Industry Trade Association noted a nearly 60% increase in firearm sales among Black women and men in 2020. And when you consider all buyers, the organization said more than 8.4 million people purchased a firearm for the first time last year.

“We had been seeing the market shift over time,” Mark Oliva, Director of Public Affairs for the Firearm Industry Trade Association, said. “It was looking less like me (a white man) and more like the rest of America. We’re seeing more African Americans, more Hispanics, more Asian Americans, and we’re seeing more women buy guns.”

https://www.wusa9.com/mobile/article/life/that-sense-of-security-is-really-important-gun-ownership-among-black-men-and-women-skyrockets/65-7b8e651a-2e46-42df-806f-d3d21129a775

Attorney General Merrick Garland is expected to announce a Justice Department investigation into the practices of the Louisville Police Department, a law enforcement source told CNN on Monday.

The impending probe will come a little over a year after officers with the department shot and killed Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old aspiring nurse, in her own home during a botched raid. The department came under intense scrutiny following the incident and her killing, along with that of several other Black Americans, led to widespread protests in the US over policing and racial injustice.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/26/politics/justice-department-investigation-louisville-police-department/index.html

We all knew it was coming. I’d venture to say every single Black person in America not only knew it was coming but was actively waiting for it to happen. After the black square badge of anti-racism, the allyship die-off was not surprising, nor was it a new experience for us. What was new was Black Lives Matter and social justice going viral. All of a sudden people gave a fuck about us — or acted like they did — because it was trending and the perception of white people teetered on whether they showed public support for Black lives.
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The ghosted allies are those who spoke out against police brutality and murder, posted videos protesting in the streets, shed tears in their stories, followed as many Black accounts as they could find. This group was, for a moment, utterly shook by the reality of racism. But what they didn’t realize was their bewilderment — their shock — in waking up to what Black people go through every day in this country and have for hundreds of years was what added a real insult to injury. It displayed that they had either not been paying attention, listening to us, or frankly hadn’t given a fuck about us.
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White folks have an uncanny way of centering themselves even when they aim to decenter. We saw this in the week of “amplify Black voices” on social media when, instead of white voices being silent, they posted to express their stance of silence. Instead of Black voices taking center stage, which was the supposed intent, we spent our time, labor, and energy creating content to explain all the points white people kept missing.

As allies, I get that reality can be daunting, and in a moment of uncertainty and wanting to do something, mistakes are made. I get that you feel like you joined a powerful movement that had all this momentum behind it. The real allies who’ve been around for so long waiting for other white people to “get it” were hopeful. I get that once that boiling water turned to steam and that steam evaporated, there was nothing left in the pot. But instead of finding more water to pour in and start the boil from scratch, people simply turned off the stove and walked away.
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That’s why the truth is it will be a long time before Black people trust white folks with social justice — if they ever do. It’s too convenient to back out when it gets hard for them.
https://thebolditalic.com/ghosted-by-allies-why-bipoc-still-cant-trust-white-people-with-social-justice-6a5d9edc6f52