Case against officer who killed neighbor turns to sentencing

DALLAS (AP) — The same jury that convicted a white Dallas police officer in the fatal shooting of her black neighbor will soon return to court to consider her sentence — a penalty that could be anywhere from five years to life in prison.

Amber Guyger said she mistook the man’s apartment for her own. She was convicted of murder Tuesday. Her defense attorneys can argue that she deserves a light sentence because she acted out of confusion and fear that she had found an intruder.

Prosecutors have given no indication what sentence they will seek.

It was unclear how long the punishment phase of the trial would last. Testimony began shortly after the verdict, starting with friends and family of the victim, Botham Jean.