Amber Guyger faced 10 years in jail the same day I walked into the wrong apartment
How a knee-jerk reaction killed someone’s child
I am one of the only people I know who enjoys jury duty. I think it’s important for a diverse group of peers to sit in on criminal and civil trials so people get a fair shot at telling their sides of the story. But I would have been a horrendous juror for the defense team in the Amber Guyger trial in which the former Dallas, Texas officer shot and killed 26-year-old Botham Jean. According to her own testimony, she believed Jean had broken into her own apartment, which was on a different floor. In reality, she’d broken into his home — with “1478” plain as day on it.
Recommended Read: “The trial that I recalled from #TalkAboutBias”
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I just couldn’t buy into her story. I have had nine total mailing addresses, primarily due to college and work-related moves. And I have never gone to the wrong door in any of those addresses. Even if I ignore that there was a red doormat in front of Jean’s apartment, my skepticism was a bit simpler. If I had a blackout in my apartment right now, I’d know where every single piece of furniture, artwork and even my dishes were. I know where I live.
On top of that, simply looking at the floor and numbers on the door would tell me where I was. I’d never tried to open the wrong door — until I did.
As of today, I’ve completed 253 dog walks with 48 different dogs. I’m used to walking into apartments, condos and homes that I’m unfamiliar with. Less than 10 homes had someone at home, so I was particularly confused when I grabbed the keys to a dog’s home, unlocked a door and the smell of marijuana smacked me in the face. I stood at the top steps and called out for the dog, assuming he wasn’t crated. Then I happened to look by a wall and saw a pair of long legs moving. I leaned over, still at the top steps, and the long legs stood up.
Around the corner came a 20-something white guy. I smiled at him and said, “Hi, I’m here to walk your dog.” And his response was, “You need to get out. You have the wrong apartment.”