National
Amber Guyger sentenced for Botham Jean murder
Amber Guyger, the Dallas police officer who fatally shot unarmed Botham Jean in his apartment last September, was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Guyger entered Jean’s apartment on Sept. 6, 2018, believing it was her apartment. Jean, 26, was watching television when Guyger shot him. She mistakenly believed he was an intruder. Jean died at the scene.
The shooting sparked protests and civil unrest in Dallas due to the fact Guyger, a white police officer, shot an unarmed black man. Several saw the murder charge as a step in the right direction against police brutality. However, many individuals criticized her 10-year sentence as too lenient.
Brandt Jean, the victim’s younger brother, made headlines when he expressed his forgiveness to Guyger and the two shared an embrace.
On Friday, Oct. 4, Jean’s neighbor and key witness in the trial Joshua Brown was fatally shot. Officials have not identified the suspect or potential motives.
Impeachment inquiry update
The impeachment inquiry regarding President Trump’s phone call to the Ukrainian president continued throughout the week.
An intelligence official was reported to have a second whistleblower complaint on Friday, Oct. 4. The second official was interviewed by Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson in an effort to confirm the initial complaint. Attorney Mark Zaid, lawyer for the first whistleblower, stated on Sunday, Oct. 6 he will represent the second whistleblower.
The State Department missed its deadline on Friday, Oct. 4 to release documents requested under a congressional subpoena.
The impeachment inquiry has received approval from Democratic lawmakers and mixed reactions from Republicans. Former GOP Rep. Joe Walsh called Trump a “traitor” for his involvement with Ukraine, while Republican Sen. Ron Johnson defended Trump, saying he was “sympathetic” of what the President has “gone through.”
State/Local
OKC Archdiocese sexual abuse
An Oklahoma City law firm released a report on Thursday, Oct. 3 detailing an investigation into sexual abuse within the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. After examining 545 priest files, 11 priests faced substantiated allegations of sexual abuse between 1960 and 2018.
Law firm McAfee & Taft released the report which documents their investigation into how the Archdiocese handles sexual abuse allegations within its clergy from 1960 to the present. The investigation follows a letter sent to the Archdiocese in August 2018 which described abuse by a priest in the 1980s. The priest was identified as Benjamin Zoeller.
The report indicates the Archdiocese engaged in coverups for certain cases of sexual abuse.
Current Archbishop Paul Coakley released a statement on Thursday, Oct. 4 to parishioners, saying “I want to begin by expressing my profound sorrow and most sincere apologies to each person who has ever been a victim of sexual abuse by anyone representing the Church. I also am sorry for the complicity and negligence of those who failed to respond adequately to reports of abuse.”
Sexual assault numbers are up on college campuses
Crime statistics show reports of sexual assault on the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University campuses have doubled from 2016 to 2018.
The statistics were publically released in response to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, which requires public institutions to release their annual reports.
There were 25 rapes in 2018, 13 in 2017 and seven in 2016 at Oklahoma State University. At the University of Oklahoma, there were 17 reported rapes last year, 10 in 2017 and nine in 2016.
Some believe the increased number of reports is due to changes in Title IX. Changes under the Obama administration broadened definitions of assault and made reporting easier for victims.
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