The Hill reports that Texas House Representatives have pushed forward the Botham Jean Act.
In 2018, off-duty Dallas police officer Amber Guyger murdered 26-year-old Black accountant Botham Jean in his own home, claiming that she mistook his apartment for her own. Guyger was fired and later convicted of murder in 2019. Guyger was sentenced to serve ten years in prison.
Now, Texas has pushed forward a bill that would require an officer to wear their body cameras throughout an investigation that involves them.
In a 108 to 34, the House passed the bill, called the Botham Jean Act. Democratic Texas Rep. Carl Sherman said in a statement that the new legislation would focus on “systemic accountability” and that it a “watershed” moment seeing both Republicans and Democrats support the bill.
“I am thankful that we are continuing to work from a place of bi-partisanship and that we have found a common ground to move Bo’s Law into law in the State of Texas. I also want to thank House Speaker Dade Phelan for his support,” Sherman said in his statement.
“In keeping with the spirit of the young man who HB929 was named after, ‘Let the spirit of Botham Jean continue to rise among us,’” Sherman said.
