(Fox 4 News) - Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall officially fired Amber Guyger on Monday for the fatal shooting of a man in his own apartment.
In a statement, the Dallas Police Department said Guyger was terminated during a hearing with the chief Monday morning. An internal affairs investigation found she “engaged in adverse conduct when she was arrested for manslaughter” and she was fired due to her "actions" the night of the fatal shooting.
Guyger was arrested for the death of her neighbor, Botham Jean. She claims she mistakenly went to the wrong apartment the night of Sept. 6 and shot Jean dead because she believed he was an intruder.
Chief Hall addressed concerns about Guyger’s employment status late last week, saying she would not take action as long as the investigation was active because she didn’t want to risk compromising the criminal case. That position apparently changed over the weekend, as Guyger's firing was not expected.
Legal experts told FOX 4 News there are already protections in place to prevent administrative procedures, like firing an employee, from conflicting with a criminal case. Attorneys for Jean’s family had also criticized the chief for keeping Guyger on the force.
“I think it sends a strong message out to the community that the Dallas Police Department now has taken steps in the right direction with making that decision to fire this officer,” said Daryl Washington, an attorney for Jean’s family.
The Dallas County District Attorney’s office is still preparing a criminal case to present to a grand jury. Although she was charged with manslaughter for Jean’s death, DA Faith Johnson said the grand jury could upgrade that charge.
Guyger has been with the department since 2013. She has the right to appeal the discipline.
Also on Monday, Chief Hall also announced changes to the police department’s administrative procedures. She told the city council’s Public Safety Committee that she is ending the 72-hour wait period for obtaining statements from officers who are involved in shootings.
The previous chief, David Brown, put that policy into place so officers would be able to provide a clear recollection of events away from the heat of the moment.
Chief Hall is also moving forward with a citizen’s review board, something protestors demanded after Jean’s death. It’s not clear if that board would have subpoena power as demanded by the protestors.
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