HUGS TO GO — The Weekly Opine

Some in Dallas went all-in to help Amber Guyger. It worked. (Photo credit: NBC News)

Warmly embraced then off to prison

You could almost see this coming, from the moment the media posted photos of ex-cop Amber Guyger sobbing on the witness stand. Guyger, charged with murdering her neighbor, was the beneficiary of a steady dose of benefit of doubt from the media (who also referenced Guyger working a “long shift” the day of the murder), from Judge Tammy Kemp and from a jury comprised mostly of women of color. Oh yea, Guyger also received benefit of doubt from her victim’s brother.

In the annals of murder trials, there have been baffling arrays of questionable behavior committed on all sides. But not many with a more surprising outcome than the trial of Amber Guyger. Even “the Simpson matter,” as Judge Lance Ito referred to the trial he presided over in L.A. County last century (replete with bloody gloves, perjury-laden cop testimony and a Dream Team of lawyers defending a rich American icon), in some ways could not match what transpired last week in Dallas.

Unlike the Simpson trial, which dragged on for nine months, the Guyger matter lasted about a week. Even Guyger did not dispute what occurred that fateful night. Distracted while sexting, she entered the wrong apartment and shot to death an unarmed man sitting on his couch watching TV, eating ice cream. Botham Jean, shot in his own home, was a 26-year old accountant and all-around good guy.

The trial, like so many others where a black man died at the hands of an overly aggressive white police officer, made national news. Two key differences in the Guyger-Jean case; the cop was a white woman and the black man victim was doing nothing remotely out of line. Botham was not jaywalking (ala Mike Brown), selling loose cigarettes (Eric Gardner) or running away from cops over petty crimes, like some others. None of which, by the way, warranted those men ending up dead, murdered by cops.

Jean worked at powerhouse accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. He was at the age where his career was in its infancy, with life’s possibilities laid out like the yellow brick road in front of him. If ever there was a model young black man, Jean appeared to be him. He had a good job and lived life guided by the Bible. Not a professional athlete, actor or celebrity, Botham Jean nonetheless was poised to achieve the good life.

But once again, a white cop sees a black man and, showing a lack of training and discipline coupled with stereotypical profiling, resorts to totally unnecessary lethal force.

Guyger’s b.s. that she feared for her life persuaded Judge Kemp to instruct jurors to consider Texas’ stand-your-ground law while they deliberated Guyger’s fate. In other words, feel free to find Guyger not guilty, or guilty of something less than murder, e.g. manslaughter. Fortunately, Judge Kemp’s accommodation toward Guyger fell short, as the jury brought back a guilty-of-murder verdict.

However, as Chicagoans know, it’s not over when you get the guilty verdict. The justice system has loopholes for the chosen ones to slide through, avoiding punishment commensurate with their crime.

As the jury began deliberating Guyger’s sentence, which carried a range of 5 to 99 years, Judge Kemp threw a Hail Mary, instructing the jury to consider an obscure notion (law?) concerning an act of passion, i.e. being so psychologically caught up in the heat of the moment that a person cannot be held accountable for their behavior. Stunning overreach by the judge. Apparently, it worked as the jury awarded Guyger the shoulder massage sentence Judge Kemp sought.

For shooting to death – murdering – an unarmed man whose apartment she intruded in to, Amber Guyger received a 10-year sentence. With good behavior she’ll skate in five years.

Up to this point, I presumed Judge Kemp was white. Boy was I wrong.

Will the sistas in prison be this nice to a cop convicted of murder? (Photo credit: 6abc Philadelphia, Law dot com)

What the…

Soon after the sentence was announced, images appeared showing Amber Guyger wrapped in the forgiving embrace of her victim’s brother, 18-year old Brandt Jean. Not long after that untimely embrace another photo surfaced, this time of Judge Kemp – lo and behold a black woman – hugging Guyger! Not to be outdone the court bailiff, a black female, gently stroked Guyger’s hair after the sentence was announced. It was indeed a “Gone With The Wind” moment.

When video emerged of members of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina forgiving racist Dylann Roof for killing nine members of their congregation, I was flabbergasted. How could they? Roof showed no remorse (still hasn’t and probably never will). Yet, by the power of their faith, congregants decided to forgive a gutless, coward who murdered their family members and friends. I do not get it and will never understand it.

Emanuel A.M.E. members immediately came to mind when photos of Brandt Jean and Judge Kemp were published, showing them hugging and comforting Amber Guyger. How dare they? It is reminiscent of some southern black slaves who, upon hearing they were free, clung to the plantation.

Throughout America’s history it often falls on black victims of racism to offer the carrot, to flash the peace sign, to say everything is OK. And surely there are times it is appropriate, such as recently when a white female news anchor from Oklahoma told her black male co-anchor that he resembled a gorilla.

After the woman gave a believable on-air apology (likely saving her job), during which she revealed that she and her co-anchor are friends, the black anchor accepted her apology, confirming they are friends. He then took her to task, on-air, for being so insensitive and out-of-touch. That’s what was missing in the Amber Guyger hug-o-rama and the forgiveness of Dylan Roof. In other words, no genuine remorse, no hugs.

Judge Kemp claims Guyger transformed during the trial. Note to Judge Kemp, everyone charged with murder changes during their trial. For example, men convicted of murder shave and wear a suit and tie to court. It’s called pretending! Give Guyger a few years in prison and let’s see if she truly is changed.

Botham Jean deserved better than his own brother effectively saying Guyger should not be bothered with having to serve time in prison. Botham Jean also deserved more than Judge Kemp conveniently handing Guyger a Bible.

Doing his civic duty cost this man his life. (Photo credit: ABC 13 Houston)

Suspicions abound in Big D

The key witness in the Guyger trial is now dead. Less than a week after the verdict was read, Joshua Brown was gunned down outside an apartment complex. Brown, scheduled to testify in an upcoming civil lawsuit filed by Jean’s family against the Dallas Police Department, did not want to testify in the Guyger trial, fearing repercussions.

Ever wonder why folks in the ‘hood refuse to cooperate with cops to help put the finger on criminals? Joshua Brown’s assassination is an example why some won’t get involved. Testify against the bad guys, or bad cops, and you could end up dead.

The official party line, articulated by Dallas police, is three men drove four hours from Louisiana to Dallas to buy pot from Brown. (If your shit detector is not going off right now it probably needs a new battery). Who in need of doobie drives four hours to get it? What, they don’t sell weed in Louisiana? And how come Guyger’s defense lawyers – paid for by the Dallas police union – did not discover Brown was a drug dealer, to impugn his testimony?

Brown played college football at the University of South Florida. Teammates say he was outspoken and funny and could make anyone laugh. Sounds like a typical 28-year old man to me. But was he? Cops claim they found 12 pounds of pot and $4,000 in his apartment. Brown, who’d previously been shot outside a strip club, was not on the same path as Botham Jean. But who knows? We may never know. We do know, per his attorneys, that Brown feared retaliation from police and hoodlums.

This is all fishy, from the defendant’s croc tears to the judge manipulating the jury to the courtroom hug fest. And now a reluctant witness is dead.

Amber Guyger (L) and Jason Van Dyke got off easy. But who wants to spend a day in prison, let alone four or five years? (Photo credit: Dallas Morning News, The Weekly Opine)

Better than nothing

At least the jury brought back a conviction. Yes, the sentence, tantamount to another hug for Guyger, was woefully light, as was the 7 ½ - year sentence given to ex-Chicago cop Jason Van Dyke for murdering Laquan McDonald. Yet, there is a measure of solace seeing two cops rightfully convicted of murder within a 12-month span.

Progress is progress. No matter how unsettling it was to see the victim’s brother and the judge showering hugs upon a woman who, prior to murdering Botham Jean, glibly admitted in multiple text messages that she’s a racist.

A jury stocked with women of color should have slammed the door shut on Judge Kemp’s foul decision to aid Amber Guyger. A sentence of at least 30 years was warranted.

Guyger better hope the prison inmates of color go as easy on her as the judge and jury did. Five years can be a long time.