Man’s killing by Dallas officer sparks protest
DALLAS — Shouting for justice in English and Spanish, protesters gathered Monday at Dallas police headquarters to speak out against the recent shootings of two minority men.
Community activists organized the rally to protest Officer Amber Guyger’s killing of 26year-old Botham Jean on Thursday night.
Jean’s death has garnered national attention, but some protesters also came to denounce the fatal shooting of 38year-old Jorge Olguin. He was killed Sept. 1 by a security guard after an argument broke out at a family party in Red Bird.
“We demand to know the name of the security officer who killed Jorge,” activist Ruben Salinas said.
The groups had begun their protests separately, but activist Dominique Alexander urged the crowd of about 150 to unite.
“One thing we are not going to do is let these cameras see us divided,” Alexander said. He asked for everyone to hold each other.
Several dozen protesters blocked traffic as they marched in the streets to the Dallas Police Association office about half a mile from police headquarters in the Cedars. Officers, some on horseback, followed.
At one point police fired pepper balls to help control the crowd.
The rally ended back at the headquarters as leaders asked people to return for another protest Wednesday.
The demonstration came a day after Guyger was charged with manslaughter in Jean’s death Thursday night at the South Side Flats apartments on South Lamar Street.
Guyger said she mistook Jean’s apartment for her own, which was one floor below. When she saw a silhouette in the dark she thought she was being burglarized and fired, striking Jean in the chest, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.