[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 160 (Thursday, September 27, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H9098-H9099]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        JUSTICE FOR BOTHAM JEAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Veasey) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to Botham 
Jean.
  Botham Jean was from the island of St. Lucia. He moved to Dallas, 
went to college, and got a good job. As soon as he moved to Dallas, he 
joined a church because he was a Christian and very much into the Word 
of Jesus Christ.
  On a Friday night a few weeks ago, he was in his apartment doing the 
right thing at 10 o'clock at night, probably trying to relax and unwind 
from the workday, and a Dallas police officer mistakenly came into his 
house and shot and killed him.
  My prayers are with Botham's family and friends.
  Officer Amber Guyger, who killed Botham, has been charged with 
manslaughter, even though she aimed, pulled, and fired the trigger. The 
last five people in Dallas County who have been charged with 
manslaughter have been charged with that charge because of drunk 
driving. She was charged with manslaughter even though she aimed, 
again, and pulled the trigger.
  The Dallas Police Department fired Guyger on Monday amid overwhelming 
outrage in the community. I think it was the right decision, but it was 
long overdue.
  I want to be clear. I respect law enforcement in this country and 
their sacrifices. But also, if we look at the facts of this case, the 
facts show us that Officer Guyger shot an unarmed Black man in his own 
apartment, and she was able to go back to her apartment that night. She 
had days before police finally arrested her, and she was given the 
benefit of the doubt, something that was not given to Botham Jean.
  I firmly believe that if Officer Guyger had walked into that 
apartment and seen a White man or a White woman, she would not have 
pulled that trigger. I firmly believe that. That is the root of the 
problem. What I can say with certainty is that I am tired of waiting 
for a time when it is safe to be a Black man in America.

                              {time}  1045

  I have a 12-year-old son. Other Congressional Black Caucus members 
have kids and grandkids, sons and grandsons. Other people around the 
country have sons, grandsons, and nephews whom they love and want to be 
safe every day.
  America is at the brink of a prolonged watershed moment between the 
African-American community and police officers in this country. We need 
action. We need to collectively break the dam. As a Nation, we need to 
fix the culture of police brutality and gun violence against 
communities of color that have lined the fabric of this country for 
over a century.
  Our criminal justice system is rooted in a systemic failure to 
prosecute the

[[Page H9099]]

unjustified shooting of Black men and boys.
  I am deeply troubled that the Texas Rangers took so long to issue an 
arrest warrant for Amber Guyger. I am angry that people are actually 
calling Botham's character into account because he had a very small 
amount of marijuana in his apartment: 0.3 ounces.
  We will never know what was in Amber Guyger's apartment because, 
again, it was 36 hours before a warrant was issued for her arrest. 
Police didn't go and search her apartment. She had days to clear out 
her apartment, if there was anything in there, but we will never know 
because it took them so long to issue an arrest warrant after she 
walked into someone's apartment that was not her own and, again, aimed, 
fired, and pulled the trigger.
  I am heartbroken that this man was killed in his own apartment, a 
place where all of us should feel safe. But what gets me most upset is 
that nothing has changed. This is a story that we have heard on repeat, 
and the dial will keep spinning until we put an end to it.
  We all know the names, and there have been too many to share, but I 
just wanted to remind you of a few.
  In South Carolina, Levar Jones was stopped at a gas station. He was 
instructed by police officers to get his license. He had his hands up. 
As he was reaching for his license, the police shot him, after being 
instructed to get his license and insurance out of the car.
  In Florida, Charles Kinsey was shot while taking care of an autistic 
patient. Go back and look at the YouTube videos of these. You don't 
have to take my word. He is sitting on the curb, taking care of this 
autistic patient, hands up in the air, and police shoot him.
  Antwon Rose from east Pittsburgh was 17 years old. He was unarmed, 
with his hands up, and shot by a policeman.
  Go and look at the videos. Their lives have all been cut short. Males 
in the Black community have been unjustly killed in our country at a 
staggering rate. We need law enforcement to be transparent in the line 
of duty and we need to work diligently to remove biases for those 
ranks. I hope that is something we can do together. Don't think it 
can't be your rights next. Don't think they won't tread on you.

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