CNN is reporting Joshua Brown, the key witness in the Amber Guyger trial, was shot and killed in a drug deal gone wrong.
Brown was killed after an argument with one of three men from Louisiana who had met him in Dallas for a drug purchase, Moore told reporters.
A conversation between Brown and Thaddeus Green, 22, escalated into a physical altercation in which Brown allegedly shot and wounded Jacquerious Mitchell, 20, according to Moore. Green then shot Brown twice, police said. Green took a backpack from Brown as well as the gun used to wound Mitchell.
After receiving tips, police obtained a search warrant and recovered 12 pounds of marijuana, 143 grams of THC cartridges, and $4,000 in cash from Brown’s apartment.
Assistant Chief Avery Moore said “As you know, there’s been speculation and rumors that have been shared by community leaders claiming that Mr. Brown’s death was related to the Amber Guyger trial, and somehow the Dallas Police Department was responsible. I assure you that is simply not true. And I encourage those leaders to be mindful of their actions moving forward because their words have jeopardized the integrity of the city of Dallas as well as the Dallas Police Department.”
National civil rights lawyer S. Lee Merritt shared a statement from the Brown family regarding todays news.
“It will be nearly impossible to conduct a reliable investigation in a climate where the investigating agency has been implicated in the murder itself. That implication naturally stems from a trial where a Dallas police officer was convicted of murder and other DPD officers were shown to have participated in condemnable behavior in destroying evidence and interfering with the investigation. It is important for everyone involve that this case not only be solved but the conclusions arrived to by investigators be seen as authentic and reliable. A cloud of suspicion will rest over this case until steps are taken to ensure the trustworthiness of the process.”
See the full statement in the Instagram post here. Speculation is already swirling online, and plenty of people are voicing their doubts regarding the whole story. We hope the families wishes are answered and a third party helps conduct a proper investigation behind the slaying of Joshua Brown.
We will keep you updated regarding the matter.
