Protesters Rally Again in Dallas Amid Fury Over Botham Jean Search Warrant

Dallas police did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the criticism

As family lawyers accused Dallas authorities of attempting to "assassinate" Botham Jean's character, protesters rallied in downtown Dallas again Friday night to condemn the man's shooting death inside his own apartment.

Dozens of protesters rallied outside the Dallas Police Department Headquarters before marching to the South Side Flats, where Jean was fatally shot by Dallas officer Amber Guyger Sept. 6. 

The march, which appeared to be peaceful, then moved to Interstate 30, where demonstrators briefly blocked westbound lanes. They chanted "Shut it down!" before moving through downtown streets chanting slogans such as "Justice now!" along with the name of Botham Jean.

No arrests were reported.

The march, organized by the Next Generation Action Network advocacy group, came the same day attorneys for the family of Jean accused Dallas officials of trying to "assassinate Jean's character" and expressed fury that authorities sought a search warrant resulting in the discovery of marijuana in the victim's apartment.

At a news conference Friday, the lawyers said there was no reason for authorities to issue the search warrant specifically searching for marijuana unless they were trying to sully the victim.

They called for the firing of police officer Guyger, who gunned down 26-year-old Jean in his own apartment on Sept. 6. She has been booked on a preliminary charge of manslaughter and is free on bond.

Attorneys, as well as Botham's mother, spoke at a press conference Friday afternoon.

Guyger told investigators she mistook Jean's apartment for her own, which is right below his, and that upon entering the dark home, she believed she had encountered an intruder and shot him when he didn't obey her verbal commands.

In a speech at private luncheon Friday, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings addressed "false innuendos."

“We need to be like Bo. Sadly many aren’t," Rawlings said. "Today there are many on social media and news outlets that want to spread false innuendos. Bo was a great man. And I am disturbed today by those who try to besmirch his reputation. Shame on you. Stop it. There are others that want the same, to do the same to Chief Reneé Hall, for her to lose her credibility. She has courageously made the right decisions and we should all stand with her."

A search warrant obtained Thursday details crime scene evidence seized from Botham Jean's apartment the night he was fatally shot by a Dallas police officer.

"Whether it’s smearing the ethical credibility of black elected officials that happened in our city horseshoe a couple of weeks ago or by attacking our first African-American female chief or dishonoring the life of Bo, it seems to be an insidious habit by some of being overly critical of black individuals with notoriety," Rawlings said. "This has got to stop on social media. We need them to stop and we must do our part. We must be united to honor these people not tear them down."

Dallas police did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the criticism.

Ryan Tarinelli of the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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