For some, the gathering was also an opportunity to express frustration over Guyger’s upcoming release.
DALLAS — A vigil honoring Botham Jean was held Friday night on Botham Jean Boulevard in front of Dallas Police Headquarters, where supporters gathered to remember his life and protest the circumstances surrounding his death.
Jean would have turned 35 this week. The vigil came the same week the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles announced former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger will be released on parole. Guyger was convicted of murdering Jean in 2019 after mistakenly entering his apartment and shooting him. She would have served seven of the ten years she was sentenced in prison.
“We take heart from each other standing here today,” said John Fullinwider, who attended the vigil.
For some, the gathering was also an opportunity to express frustration over Guyger’s upcoming release.
“She has a job, a way forward, unlike us,” one participant said.
“Seven years for someone who got a life sentence is not fair,” said Davante Peters.
Others called for Botham Jean Boulevard to extend farther into downtown Dallas, saying the street name should remain a visible reminder of Jean and his legacy.
“This city has a history of divide,” one participant said.
The vigil also addressed the history of police violence in Dallas and beyond.
“Every statistic in that grim toll of death is a person in full,” Fullinwider said.
Candles were lit as those gathered reflected on Jean’s death 8 years ago.
“We gotta remember the injustice of his murder,” one participant said.