2 Men Arrested in Slaying of Man Who Testified at Dallas Cop’s Murder Trial; Third Suspect at Large
Two men have been arrested in connection with the murder of Joshua Brown, a key witness who testified in the trial of Dallas police officer Amber Guyger.
Just days before he was shot, Brown took the stand to testify against Guyger in the 2018 shooting of Botham Jean, who was killed in his own living room. Brown, 28, lived across the hall from Jean at the time of the shooting.
According to court testimony, Guyger entered the wrong apartment in her building and shot Jean as he sat on his couch eating ice cream. She was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Brown was shot and killed on Friday at a different Dallas apartment complex.
The Dallas Police Department said in a statement that they responded to reports of a fatal shooting at 10:30 p.m. and found Brown “lying on the ground in the apartment parking lot with multiple gunshot wounds.”
He was transported to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries, according to police. Several witnesses reported having heard gunshots and seeing a car driving away from the parking lot.
On Tuesday, authorities arrested Jacquerious Mitchell, 20, and Michael Mitchell, 32, according to a statement by the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office. Suspect Thaddeous Green, 22, remains at large.
Officials claim the three suspects traveled to Dallas from Louisiana to buy drugs from Brown. An altercation ensued, and police say Brown shot Jacquerious Mitchell once in the chest. Green allegedly returned fire, striking Brown twice. Police claim Michael Mitchell drove the getaway car.
Despite the timing of Brown’s shooting, authorities say it was unrelated to Guyger’s trial.
“There has 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,” Dallas police Assistant Chief Avery Moore said at a news conference on Tuesday. “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.”
RELATED: Texas Cop Who Murdered Black Man in His Home Admitted She’s Racist in Text Messages
• Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.
On Tuesday, attorney Lee Merritt released a statement on behalf of the Brown family calling on the Dallas Police Department to have another agency investigate Brown’s death.
“This family and their representatives have consciously avoided speculating about law enforcement involvement in this tragedy, however, due to the proximity of this murder with the trial of Amber Guyger — rumors abound,” the statement said, according to NBC news. “A cloud of suspicion will rest over this case until steps are taken to ensure the trustworthiness of the process.”
The suspects are being held without bond and have not yet entered a plea. Court records do not reflect an attorney authorized to speak on his behalf.
