City News
Fired police officer Amber Guyger takes the stand and more Dallas news
The city of Dallas had an eventful week, with the trial of former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger underway, the removal of a crushing crane, and the revival of a Confederate statue.
Here's what happened in Dallas city news:
Guyger on trial
The trial of former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger, who's charged with murder in the 2018 shooting death of Botham Jean, began on September 23, and has drawn coverage from around the world.
The jury heard testimony from her former partner, Martin Rivera, with whom she was having a relationship and whom she was sexting the night of the shooting; and from other residents of the building where he lived, stating that the layout could be confusing.
Guyger testified on September 27. With much sobbing and shaking, she stated that she was afraid and was defending herself, but that she did intend to kill Jean. The prosecution contends that her mistaken shooting is indefensible.
Crane removed
A crane that fell on the Elan City Lights apartment complex near downtown Dallas has finally been removed, and Live Oak Street, which was blocked off, has been re-opened. The crane was there since June 9, when it toppled onto the building during a sudden storm. One resident, Kiersten Symone Smith, 29, was killed, and five others were injured.
In a letter to residents, the building's management says that "certain portions of the OSHA preservation zone remain in place," but they've begun assessing the remaining areas of the building and parking garage; and that residents with cars in the parking garage will be contacted as they analyze the garage area and plan recovery efforts.
Fire extinguisher assault
A woman is recovering from a brutal attack in a downtown Dallas parking lot. Jonna King was in her car preparing to drive home after work when she was accosted by David Cadena, who beat her unconscious with a fire extinguisher, then stole her car.
Cadena was arrested after crashing the car and charged with aggravated robbery. Despite a previous conviction, he was able to get out of jail on bond; his bail was set at $20,000.
A GoFundMe has been set up for King, who was in the hospital ICU for four days and is now recovering at home.
New home for statue
The statue of Robert E. Lee, which was removed from a Dallas park in 2017, has a new home in Lajitas, Texas, where it's installed at Black Jack's Crossing Golf Course, a resort owned by oil and gas billionaire Kelcy Warren.
The city of Dallas sold the statue for $1.4 million at an auction to a bidder who went by "LawDude." He turned out to be Addison lawyer Ronald Holmes, who donated it to the resort. Part of the sale was a ban against displaying the statue in Dallas; Lajitas is about 600 miles away.
Warren is chairman/CEO of Energy Transfer Partners, the company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline, and the same Warren who bought naming rights to Klyde Warren Park in downtown Dallas, which is named after his son.