• Video
  • Shop
  • Culture
  • Family
  • Wellness
  • Food
  • Living
  • Style
  • Travel
  • News
  • Book Club
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • Terms of Use
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Contact Us
  • © 2026 ABC News
  • News

Officer who walked into wrong apartment and killed man faces arrest: Authorities

1:35
Video shows an off-duty officer moments after she shot an unarmed man
Jeff Montgomery/Harding University/AP
ByMorgan Winsor
September 07, 2018, 8:57 PM

An arrest warrant will soon be issued for a Dallas police officer who shot and killed a man upon returning home from her shift and entering an apartment she apparently thought was her own, police said Friday.

Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall announced at a press conference that authorities are in the process of obtaining a warrant for the officer involved, who has not yet been identified.

"At the very early stages of this investigation, initial indications were that they were what we consider circumstances of an officer-involved shooting," Hall told reporters. "However, as we continued this investigation it became clear that we were dealing with what appears to be a much different and very unique situation."

The victim was identified as Botham Jean, who was 26 years old.

A police officer in Dallas, Texas, Aug. 11, 2016.
Cooper Neill for The Washington Post via Getty Images, FILE

Preliminary information suggests the off-duty officer was still wearing her police uniform after working a full shift when she arrived at the apartment complex where she lives south of downtown Dallas on Thursday night. That's when she walked into "what she believed to be her apartment," the police chief said.

The officer, who is white, "encountered" Jean, who was black, inside the apartment. It's unclear what the interaction was between them, but at some point she "fired her weapon, striking the victim," according to Hall.

The officer called 911 for help, and the responding officers administered aid to Jean at the scene. He was then taken to a local hospital, where he later died, the police chief said.

Related Articles

(MORE: Officer allegedly kills wife, then himself)

Botham Jean speaks at Harding University, March 24, 2014.
Jeff Montgomery/Harding University/AP

Jean was a 2016 graduate of Harding University in Arkansas, where he "frequently led worship for chapel and for campus events," according to a statement from the school.

The university said Jean was originally from Saint Lucia, an island nation in the Caribbean.

"The entire Harding family grieves today for the loss of Botham Jean, who has meant so very much to us," the statement said in part.

At the time of his death, he was working for PricewaterhouseCoopers, a multinational professional services firm with an office in Dallas.

"This is a terrible tragedy. Botham Jean was a member of the PwC family in our Dallas office and we are simply heartbroken to hear of his death," the company said in a statement obtained by ABC News on Friday.

Related Articles

(MORE: Gunman in Cincinnati bank shooting that killed 3 identified as 29-year-old Ohio resident)

Botham Jean is seen leading worship at a university presidential reception in Dallas, Sept. 21, 2017.
Jeff Montgomery/Harding University/AP

The officer involved was not injured in the incident and was placed on administrative leave while the police department conducted a joint investigation with the Dallas County District Attorney's Office into what they initially thought was an officer-involved shooting, Hall said.

The Dallas Police Department has since ceased handling the incident under its "normal officer-involved shooting protocol" and has invited the Texas Rangers to conduct an independent investigation. A blood sample was also taken from the officer to test for drugs and alcohol, Hall said.

The Dallas police chief said she's spoken to Jean's family to express her condolences and reassure them investigators are working "diligently" on the case.

"Right now there are more questions than answers. We understand the concerns of the community," Hall told reporters Friday afternoon. "That is why we are working as vigorously and meticulously as we can to ensure the integrity of the case and the department is upheld. In doing so, we hope to bring understanding to the family."

ABC News' Kathleen Hendry and Jenna Kaplan contributed to this report.

Up Next in News—

Gas station clerk speaks out after foiling alleged kidnapping

April 15, 2026

Oklahoma high school principal takes down would-be shooter, hailed as hero

April 15, 2026

Family seeks answers after influencer Ashlee Jenae is found dead on vacation in Tanzania

April 15, 2026

Couple shares warning after nearly losing down payment in mortgage fraud

April 10, 2026

Shop GMA Favorites

ABC will receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

Sponsored Content by Taboola

The latest lifestyle and entertainment news and inspiration for how to live your best life - all from Good Morning America.
  • Contests
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Children’s Online Privacy Policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • About Nielsen Measurement
  • Press
  • Feedback
  • Shop FAQs
  • ABC News
  • ABC
  • All Videos
  • All Topics
  • Sitemap

© 2026 ABC News
  • Privacy Policy— 
  • Your US State Privacy Rights— 
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy— 
  • Interest-Based Ads— 
  • Terms of Use— 
  • Do Not Sell My Info— 
  • Contact Us— 

© 2026 ABC News