TX-Sen: O'Rourke says officer who killed Botham Jean should be fired; Cruz wants due process

Texas Senate candidates Beto O'Rourke (D) and incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz (R) were busy on the campaign trail over the weekend.

On Friday night, O'Rourke held a town hall in Dallas on where he spoke about the recent officer-involved shooting death of Botham Jean. Cruz spoke to voters in the southeast Texas towns of Columbus and Gonzalez on Saturday.

What did O'Rourke say?

In his Friday night speech, O'Rourke talked about racial issues and questioned how a young black man could be shot and killed by an officer while he was inside his home.

"I think we were all counting on the district attorney," O'Rourke told KDFW-TV after the event at the Good Street Baptist Church. "On those in positions of trust and power right now to do the right thing, but we're also all counting the community, many of whom are downtown right now protesting, ensuring, not waiting for it, ensuring that that will happen.

Dallas Police Officer Amber Guyger, 30, allegedly entered the wrong apartment on Sept. 6, mistaking it for her own prior to the confrontation that ended in 26-year-old Jean's death.

"And there has to be a full accounting for how young black men, unarmed, continue to be killed in this country without accountability, without justice, without these full investigations, without respecting their civil rights. This cannot continue," he continued.

Black Lives Matter protesters have called for the Dallas Police Department to fire Officer Guyger, who was placed on leave.

"I don't understand given the actions how anyone can come to any other conclusion," O'Rourke responded when asked whether or not he believed Guyger should be fired.

Guyger's description of the events is different from those of witnesses.

Two sisters claimed they heard someone pounding on a door and a woman's voice saying, "Let me in, let me in," before two gunshots were fired.

Guyger was arrested for manslaughter three days after the killing. The officer, who was released on $300,00o bond, reportedly moved out of her apartment over the weekend, WFAA-TV reported.



What did Cruz say about the officer-involved death?

Cruz also spoke about Jean's death while campaigning over the weekend, but he believes an investigation and due process are in order.

“I wish Beto O’Rourke and the Democrats weren't always so quick to blame the police officer, always attack the police. She may have been in the wrong. She's facing legal proceedings. And if a jury of her peers says she behaved wrongly, then I think she'll face the consequences,” Cruz said in Columbus, according to KDFW.

Cruz's campaign did not immediately return a request to TheBlaze for further comments.

What else?

The candidates' first of three debates is scheduled on Friday at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

The next two will take place on Sept. 21 and Sept. 30 in Houston and San Antonio, respectively.