It was the hug seen around the world. After a jury issued a sentence of 10 years to convicted murderer Amber Guyger, her victim Botham Jean’s younger brother Brandt asked the judge to hug her.
It was a hug that drew a lot of mixed reactions. While some people commended the young man for his strength and Christian values, others felt that if the roles were reversed and the victim was white, the victim’s family would not have reacted the same way.
Well now, Brandt is speaking out on what compelled him to show Guyger that level of compassion. “I thought the cameras were off,” Brandt told Dr. Phil, who pointed out that Brandt did not hug Guyger for publicity.
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“I don’t want to live the rest of my life saying ‘I hate you. I wish I could get you back,’” Brandt explained. “It just clears your mind. It frees me knowing that it’s settled. You pay, yes, for what you did (speaking of Guyger), but in my heart, I know that I’m free.”
Brandt and the rest of Jean’s family sat down for an interview with Dr. Phil, just two days after Guyger was sentenced to 10 years in prison for Jean’s murder.
The trial and its aftermath has dominated headlines this week as people discuss the impact of it all and its ties to race relations in America.
Guyger, the former Dallas police officer who fatally shot her neighbor Jean in his own apartment after claiming she mistook his unit for hers, was found guilty of murder earlier this week.
She testified in her own defense saying that she hates herself every day for taking Jean’s life.
Jean’s father also made headlines this week when he said he would like to be “friends” with Guyger in the future.
