Local Fox News Station Slanders Botham Jean, Because Clickbait Matters More Than Integrity
Not that we'd expect anything more, but when a victim is Black, of course the first thing white America does is look for evidence they are a criminal.
It does not matter if Botham Jean had marijuana in his apartment.
Amber Guyger shot him in his own apartment last week, allegedly thinking she was entering her own. Her story has changed, since the shooting, from first saying she struggled to get the key in the lock and open the door, to saying now that the door was slightly ajar when she got there. She changed her story about where she parked. She changed her story about whether he opened the door or whether she pushed the door open and saw him across the room (in the dark.)
It does not matter if Botham Jean had marijuana in his apartment.
Botham Jean died because off-duty police officer Amber Guyger shot him to death in his own apartment. The affidavit for the search warrant specifically stated the investigating officer believed they would find narcotics in the apartment if they searched. Apart from wondering why she would believe there were narcotics in an innocent, unarmed shooting victim's apartment, the evidence list shows they did not find any narcotics.
It does not matter if Botham Jean had marijuana in his apartment.
The local Fox News decided they thought it was important to announce that a small amount of marijuana was found in Botham Jean's apartment. The one he legally inhabited, and the one in which he was shot and killed for no reason whatsoever. The local Fox News station posted the tweet above, falling into the usual white supremacist mode of painting the Black man as a criminal regardless of the truth, regardless of how brutally he had himself been victimized, regardless of the impact on the grieving Black family members.
It does not matter if Botham Jean had marijuana in his apartment.
Interestingly, well-known media folks from across the political spectrum decried this portrayal, and release of completely irrelevant information. From Bernice King to Ben Shapiro, there is outrage.
Do you know why?
BECAUSE IT DOES NOT MATTER IF BOTHAM JEAN HAD MARIJUANA IN HIS APARTMENT.