When 30-year-old Amber Guyger shot and killed her neighbor, 26-year-old Botham Shem Jean, after reportedly mistaking his Dallas apartment for hers, we once again saw how the media turns maligns innocent Black men. Shortly after the story broke, some outlets focused on the fact that marijuana was found in his apartment. As many, including Botham’s family, has spoken out against the treatment of the young man, Texas senatorial candidate, Beto O’Rourke called for the firing of Guyger. His opponent, Ted Cruz, on the other hand, believes we shouldn’t rush to judgement.
In an interview with Fox 26 Houston, Cruz said: “It’s a tragic situation where everyone is horrified by what happened. And it may well be that two lives were destroyed that night. That obviously the individual that was at home in his apartment and found himself murdered – that is horrific and a nightmare. As I understand it, the police officer’s story is that she was mistaken, she was confused. She thought she was in her apartment and was instead in his and thought he was an intruder. It’s possible what happened was a horrifying and horrific misunderstanding. Or it may be something else.”
Cruz then added that the justice system is designed to make these calls and to weigh the evidence. “I wish Beto O’Rourke and Democrats weren’t so quick to always blame the police officer, always attack the police officer. She may have been in the wrong and if a jury of her peers believe that she behaved wrongly, then she’ll face the consequences. But I don’t think we should jump to conclusions. It may have been just a horrific misunderstanding with horrifying consequences, or it may have been something worse.”
With his response, Cruz managed to position himself as an ally to cops, but he never questions how the fact that this officer immediately reaching for her gun is cause for concern.
Guyger was arrested on a manslaughter charge and released on $300,000 bond. She has since moved from the apartment complex. She remains on administrative leave.