Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger has been granted parole seven years after she was convicted of killing her neighbor, Botham Jean, in his Dallas apartment.
The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles approved Guyger’s parole Thursday. Guyger was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted of murder in 2019.
Lee Merritt, an attorney who represented Jean’s family, expressed his disappointment on the decision.
“Justice cannot be selective,” Merritt said. “When a life is taken without cause, accountability has to mean something, for everyone. Today’s decision tells grieving families that it can be cut short.”
Guyger was fired from the Dallas Police Department after the September 2018 shooting.
She testified that she mistakenly entered Jean’s apartment, believing it was her own, and thought Jean was an intruder before shooting him.
The parole board said its decision was based in part on Guyger’s record, which did not include a documented pattern of violent or assaultive arrests or convictions. The board also said she had maintained a satisfactory institutional adjustment and completed programs included in her treatment plan that could help her obtain and maintain full-time employment.
Guyger previously applied for parole in 2024 after serving five years, but that request was denied.
The board has not said when Guyger will be released from prison.
Emmanuel Rivas Valenzuela is KERA’s breaking news reporter. Got a tip? Email Emmanuel at erivas@kera.org. KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members.
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