‘I thought it was my apartment,’ cop charged with killing Botham Jean says on 911 tape
Amber Guyger is heard on the recording trying to revive the Dallas man and even apologizes to him after she opened fire, apparently thinking someone was in her unit
It has been more than six months since a Dallas police officer shot a Black man in his own apartment claiming she thought it was her own. For a while many wondered what happened in those moments after shots were fired and now newly released 911 tapes may shed light on what transpired.
Last September, Amber Guyger, 30, a former Dallas police officer, shot and killed 26-year-old Botham Jean in his own apartment thinking he was an intruder in hers. Guyger claimed that she was tired after working a 14-hour shift and thought she was on the third floor where her apartment was located, when she had parked her car on the fourth.
READ MORE: Judge issues gag order in fired cop Amber Guyger’s murder trial
WFAA-TV obtained a copy of the long sought after 911 tapes where Guyger’s call for help can be heard.
“I thought it was my apartment,” Guyger repeated 19 times on the recording WFAA reported. “I’m going to lose my job.”
During the course of the call, Guyger seems frantic and upset about what happened as it becomes apparent that she is not at her own apartment. Guyger begins apologizing to Jean, who can sometimes be heard in the silence moaning in pain.
“I didn’t mean to. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry,” she said.
Guyger was still in her police uniform when she shot Jean and claimed that when she entered the apartment she saw a dark figure across the room. The apartment was dark as she began giving commands to the figure and claimed that Jean “ignored” her orders. She shot him once in the abdomen.
READ MORE: Witness who filmed Botham Jean police shooting aftermath harassed and fired
During the call, the operator asks Guyger what apartment she is at and it seems to sound as if she just checked the apartment number and realized she was at the wrong place.
“I thought I was in my apartment and I shot a guy thinking he was, thinking it was my apartment,” Guyger said.
“You shot someone?” the operator asks.
“I thought it was my apartment. I’m [expletive],” Guyger responds. “Oh my God. I’m sorry.”
Throughout the call, Guyger can be heard talking to Jean appearing to try to keep him conscious.
“Hey bud, hey bud, hey bud,” she told Jean. “Come on.”
As the five minute and 38-second call winds to an end Guyger, who had seemed to become increasingly frantic, said, ““Oh my God. How did I put the…how did…how did I…I’m so tired.”
READ MORE: Botham Jean’s mother, Allison describes her painful loss
Police arrived a few minutes before the call ended. According to WFAA, a neighbor told police that he heard an exchange of words, followed by at least two gunshots, according to a search warrant. Guyger was arrested and charged with manslaughter three days later, fired and indicted on a murder charge late November.
