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Botham Jean was a promising 26-year-old accountant who was shot dead in his apartment last nigh by a Dallas police officer who claims she thought she was entering her own home.
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As the fight continues to get justice for Jean, a Brooklyn, New York-based group wants the Prime Minister of his hometown of St. Lucia to honor Jean by naming him a national hero, St. Lucia Online reports.
The group sent a letter to the Prime Minister of St. Lucia Allen Chastanet requesting that the slain accountant be honored.
“Botham is a hero who was killed senselessly by a coward with no value for the lives of different human being. He will forever be a symbol in America for justice against police violence, and for equality, human rights and dignity,” the letter says. “He, therefore, deserves a place in the pantheon of St. Lucian and Caribbean icons.
“Consequently, CGID strongly urges, Honorable Prime Minister, that your government and the Parliament of St. Lucia, to name Botham Shem Jean a national hero of St. Lucia,” the letter adds.
Dallas cop Amber Guyger claims she mistakenly entered his apartment on Sept. 6, and shot him after working a 15-hour shift. Guyger was charged with manslaughter but released on bail. She was also fired from the force.
A copy of the letter was made available to the Caribbean Media Corporation.
The group is called the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID). The letter was signed by CGID president, Guyanese-born Rickford Burke. It said the organization “became convinced that Botham was a victim of the epidemic of white law enforcement officers killing innocent blacks.”
It says “prima facie evidence established that officer Guyger was negligent, reckless and demonstrated depraved indifference to human life; resulting in Botham’s murder.”
“Decency and success characterized Botham’s life,” CGID writes, stating that he was “the top student of his high school, earning the Spirit of St. Lucia Academic Award.”
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Jean migrated to the US in 2011 to study accounting and landed a position at the auditing firm of Price Waterhouse Coopers as a risk assurance associate in 2015.
At Jean’s funeral, Todd Gentry, a mentor for the Harding University ministry with the Caribbean, said that when Jean was an undergrad, he convinced Gentry to travel with him to St. Lucia to help the people there.
“We walked along the streets of St. Lucia and helped everyone that needed something done … fixing a door or just singing with people that needed a friend,” Gentry said at the service.
The pair visited the juvenile detention center and a nursing home, where Jean combed people’s hair and “cleaned up their messes,” Gentry added.
“To know Botham was to love Botham,” said longtime friend, the Rev. Michael Griffin, associate minister of Dallas West Church of Christ, who called Jean “Bo.”
“He was the light in a dark room, Griffin said. “Botham loved God. He loved to sing about God. He loved the work and the ministry of the church.”
Lee Merritt, a lawyer representing Jean’s family, has said a witness account from a neighbor contradicts what Guyger claims took place.
The lawyer told NBC that the witness heard pounding on Jean’s apartment door and a woman’s voice calling out, “Let me in, let me in.” The witness said she then heard gunshots and a man’s voice imploring, “Oh my God, why did you do that?”