Ms. Jefferson was killed less than two weeks after the conclusion of the case in Dallas, in which Amber R. Guyger, a white former police officer, was convicted of murder. Ms. Guyger shot her unarmed black neighbor, Botham Shem Jean, in his apartment last year, claiming she thought the apartment was her own. The former officer was sentenced to 10 years in prison this month after a highly publicized trial.
That case took place in a neighboring county under a different district attorney. Still, many who had been following it could not help but draw comparisons. Though Ms. Guyger was convicted, activists have complained about what they saw as a lenient sentence.
“After watching what happened to Botham Jean and 10 years for taking his life, how excited can we be?” Dr. Bell said.
In 2017, after the controversy that followed the arrest of Ms. Craig and her daughters, the Fort Worth City Council appointed a task force to examine issues of race and culture. The task force presented a series of recommendations last year, including an avenue to involve citizens in oversight of the Police Department and recommendations to diversify the police force.
The City Council in September took action on several of the task force recommendations, including creating a police monitor position, setting up a police cadet program and beginning a diversity and inclusion program.
Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/14/us/fort-worth-police-officer-charged-murder.html
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