Hundreds of mourners arrived Thursday in Texas for the emotional funeral of Botham Jean, the black man who was killed by a white female cop in his own apartment last week.
Emotional family, friends and members of the community gathered to pay their respects to Jean, who was just 26-years-old when he was fatally shot by Dallas cop Amber Guyger on September 6.
Visitation began at 10am local time and funeral services began at noon. The words 'going home' were embroidered into the lining of Jean's coffin.
His mother Allison was seen arriving with her husband Bertrum and their two surviving children Brandt and Allisa an hour before the ceremony was due to start.
Mourners filed past Jean's casket, which was kept open, at the Greenville Avenue Church of Christ in Richardson, while a slide show of his life was played.
The service was opened by pastor Michael Griffin who told the congregation: ‘Bo made us all better. He didn’t see color, he saw love.’
Heartbreaking: Brandt Jean, Botham Jean's brother cries as he arrives for his sibling's funeral with his mother, Allison Jean
People attending dressed in traditional black funeral attire, as well as anti-violence t-shirts. Mourners are seen surrounding his open casket
'He was truly a gift from God and he meant the world to me, his spiritual bond with Christ was always at the forefront of his mind'- college friend of Jean, Alexis Stossel
Tommy Bush, a business mentor and friend gave a stirring speech about how the young man reached high and was a believer in Christ
The devastated family of Botham Jean who was shot and killed by Dallas police officer Amber Guyger arrive for his funeral at the Greenville Avenue Church of Christ in Richardson, TX
Support: Botham's sister, Allisa Charles-Findley, is seen left as she arrives at the funeral for her brother
Visitation began at 10am local time with funeral services to begin around noon. The words 'going home' were embroidered into the lining of Jean's coffin. Family and friends are pictured above arriving
Jean's funeral was held at the Greenville Avenue Church of Christ in Richardson, to accommodate the large number of mourners
Before the funeral services began at noon mourners filed past Jean's coffin, while a slide show of his life was played in the background
Hamilton Landrum, gospel singer, gave a stirring performance for the packed church
Guests, who included Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall and Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, were encouraged to applaud each other and the family by Griffin who paid tribute to them by telling mourners: ‘The apple don’t fall far from the tree’.
Botham Jean's family say he had never met cop Amber Guyger before she shot him dead on Thursday in his apartment
Tommy Bush, a business mentor and friend gave a stirring speech about how the young man reached high and was a believer in Christ. Bush continually cried while talking about him, and concluded 'Don't tell me not to grieve. I'm not there yet.
'He was truly a gift from God and he meant the world to me, his spiritual bond with Christ was always at the forefront of his mind,' said his college, Alexis Stossel.
During the services, Jean's service to his church, his community and the many missions he has done through his church in Texas for the people in his homeland of St. Lucia were emphasized.
The young man was also a member of a chorus called 'The Good News Singers' through Harding University which traveled the country to spread the word of Jesus Christ.
Jean was dressed in a suit and tie that was the same suit he wore in his bright, smiling Facebook photo.
His younger brother wore a matching outfit. He stood over his brother and patted Jean's chest while family comforted him and rubbed his shoulders.
People attending dressed in traditional black funeral attire, as well as anti-violence t-shirts.
A bus was provided from Harding University, about five hours away in Arkansas, where Jean attended school.
Students and alumni packed the bus to honor their friend who was a native of Saint Lucia.
Jean's final resting place will be in his homeland of St. Lucia at a later date.
Guests, who included Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall and Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, were encouraged to applaud each other and the family by Griffin who paid tribute to them by telling mourners: ‘The apple don’t fall far from the tree’.
In a statement released before the service, Allisa called for peaceful protests and said she still wants clear, concise answers about the events that led to his death.
She added: 'Botham was a man of peace, love and justice. Botham would approve of the marches and protests, however, he would not approve of any violence in the streets nor loss of any additional life in his name nor his memory, as a result of this tragedy.
'Botham Shem Jean loved both America and his homeland of St Lucia. But above all, he loved serving God and knew his calling as a child of God.
According to a program obtained by DailyMail.com, the service will include an obituary by Jean's friend Tyler Gentry and tributes by college friend Alexis Stossel, PWC senior partner Tim Ryan and family friend Ignatius Jean.
An obituary included in the program remembers Jean as having 'an enthusiasm for life that was contagious'.
It adds: 'He was passionate about people and - because of his faith - shared his love and joy with everyone he came in contact with during his short life.'
The family are requesting donations in lieu of flowers to be paid to Harding University's St. Lucia Global Missions Fund.
Guyger, 30, lived a floor beneath Jean and claims that she mistakenly went to his apartment thinking it was hers. She told police that when she arrived at the front door, it was ajar and the lights inside were off. She says that she went inside , saw a 'dark silhouette', gave verbal commands then shot the man, thinking he was an intruder.
But Jean's family say her story is full of holes.
They say that the banking associate was afraid of the dark and would never have had all his lights off inside.
They also say he would not have kept his door ajar because it was unsafe, and point out that he had a red doormat at the front of his apartment which would have been impossible for the cop not to spot and realize she was in the wrong place.
'He made sure to let everyone know this is mine – it's my red carpet,' his mother said.
Botham's family say the cop should also have known that it wasn't her apartment because of his red doormat (above)
They also revealed on Wednesday that Jean, who moved to the US from his native St Lucia in 2011 to attend college, was terrified of being racially profiled as a black man living in Texas.
'He said to me as a black man in Dallas, you don't walk with your hands in your pockets.
'Just so you don't get any profiling,' his teenager brother Brandt told CBS this week.
Jean's mother, Allison, said he would never have sat at home in the dark.
'To hear that his door was open, he would never -- and have the lights off -- he would never do that.
'He was like me. He does not like the dark.'
Witnesses have told the family's lawyer that seconds before they heard Guyger firing her weapon, they heard a woman in the hallway pounding on his door and yelling: 'Let me in, let me in!'
After the shots, another person said they heard a man cry out: 'Oh my God, why did you do this?'
The witness believes those may have been Jean's last words.
Guyger called 911 immediately and was seen pacing up and down the hallway in her cop uniform while making the call.
Jean was taken to hospital but was pronounce dead afterwards.
It took three days for police to arrest Guyger. She was booked into jail on Sunday on a manslaughter charge and was bailed out by an attorney on a $300,000 bond.
The funeral service program is seen above. Guyger, 30, lived a floor beneath Jean and claims that she mistakenly went to his apartment thinking it was hers
Since then, she has said nothing. The District Attorney is weighing up whether to increase the charge to murder.
In the meantime, her family have been forced to deny accusations that they are racist.
The claims emerged when a photograph of Guyger with a relative surfaced in which the man is making a hand gesture.
Some said he was spelling out the letters 'W' and 'P' - for white power. In another image, the cop is pictured with a woman wearing an 'All Lives Matter' shirt.
Link textbacklinkexchanges.com
https://textbacklinkexchanges.com/funeral-for-black-man-who-was-shot-dead-by-white-dallas-cop-in-his-apartment-family-devastated/
News Pictures Funeral for black man who was shot dead by white Dallas cop in his apartment, family devastated
You don’t have to pack away your bikini just because you’re the wrong side of 20. These body-beautiful stars reveal their secrets to staying in shape and prove you can smoulder in a two-piece, whatever your age. Read on and be bikini inspired!
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https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/09/13/18/502244C100000578-6165027-Heartbreaking_Brandt_Jean_Botham_Jean_s_brother_cries_as_he_arri-a-107_1536859883448.jpg
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