Although a few months have passed since the initial incident, many are still discussing Botham Jean’s brother, Brandt Jean, openly embracing his brother’s killer Amber Guyger just after she was sentenced 10 years in prison. Fast forward to the present, and now Brandt has been honored with a special award for his actions by a local Texas police group.
The verdict in the Botham Jean case was painful and shocking for a number of reasons, specifically for the short amount of time that Amber Guyger received for his death—and also the outpouring of love that she received from both the judge in the case and Jean’s 18-year-old brother Brandt. As reported by @CNN, The Institute for Law Enforcement Administration awarded Brandt with its 2019 Ethical Courage Award at a recent ceremony in Plano, Texas.
During the award presentation, Brandt addressed the intense backlash and criticism he received for supporting Guyger:
“I never intended for the statement I made to the person that murdered my brother to receive such international recognition. To be honest, I struggled with it for a long time, as I struggled with accepting this award from this agency.”
Brandt also mentioned his late brother while acknowledging the racial discrimination of the police force:
“My brother was well aware of the danger posed to young black men due to the misconceptions about color that seem particularly pronounced among the law enforcement community. I want you all to know I am not a threat, that young black males are not inherently dangerous or criminal. I insist that you encourage diverse leadership that can model inclusion and restraint. Most importantly, I ask that you remember my brother — my example of ethical leadership, a young black male that was perceived as a threat by one of your own. I want you to remember him. I want you to ask yourself what are you doing to ensure that there will be no other families like mine, no other little brothers that have to model ethical leadership in forgiveness of a cop whose lack of training and discipline caused them to carelessly take a life of another.”
In January, Brandt Jean is set to begin his college education at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas—the same exact school where his brother Botham received his degree back in 2016.
Roommates, what are your thoughts on this?
