Tensions at the height of the stakes while Amber Guyger is judged in the death of Botham Jean

A police shooting as complicated as ever in the history of Dallas, the Amber Guyger affair has attracted public attention from the very beginning.

With the start of testimony Monday, Dallas is preparing for the verdict in the murder trial of a 31-year-old fired police officer.

A year ago this month, Guyger was on leave but was still wearing his Dallas Police uniform when she shot at his neighbor Botham Jean, 26. She told the police that she thought his apartment was his and that he was an intruder.

The news resounded in Dallas and around a country already polarized by high-profile firing by police on unarmed black men. The case sparked protests and calls for surveillance and reforms from the Dallas Police Department.

With the tensions exacerbated, Dallas officers are not allowed to take leave during the trial and were told to have all their safety equipment.

The question is how a deeply divided community will respond to the verdict, whether it is a murder conviction, a conviction for a less serious charge such as manslaughter or criminal negligent homicide , or an immediate acquittal. The case could also end with a lawsuit for annulment if the jurors can not rule unanimously.

Criminal justice experts have urged police suspects to let the court process unfold.

But Dallas Police Association president Mike Mata warned that some community leaders would try to exploit the case, especially if Guyger was found not guilty.

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"Some people live in chaos and make sure that there is one," Mata said.

Changa Higgins, one of the militants of a coalition favoring increased surveillance of the Dallas police, said that demonstrating violence to protesters is an old tactic used to discredit reform attempts of the police.

"It's an old police story about how they paint people who seek justice," said Higgins, 46.

This story portrays the protesters as a problem, he added.

"The reason we even talk about it is that the black communities and the brown communities who have suffered the bulk of the bad police services in Dallas have the impression that it is not there. There is no choice but to demand justice, "said Higgins.

The protests, he said, "including those that amount to uprisings, are not made by bad people who just want to cause chaos," he said.

"They are made by ordinary, ordinary people, who feel they have no other choice, and they can not get justice, and their humanity is threatened."

Alex Piquero, a professor of criminology at the University of Texas at Dallas, said it was understandable that people want to see a quick justice and that steps be taken to prevent such tragedies, especially in a community where controversial gunfire was committed by the police.

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Over the past two years, Dallas County jurors sent a message condemning two former officers to prison for murdering unarmed teenagers.

Roy Oliver, a licensed officer in Balch Springs, has 15 years in prison for killing Jordan Edwards, 15, while he was on duty. Ken Johnson, a Farmers Branch officer, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for pursuing and killing Jose Cruz after surprising the 16-year-old in his SUV while he was not in service .

As difficult as it is, Piquero said, people must try to hold back their judgment until all the facts are heard, he said.

"We only know what we have heard," said Piquero. "No matter what their party, people have to wait for all the evidence to be presented before rushing for judgment."

The public's reaction to the verdict will depend on his views on the officer's explanation about two events: Did Guyger really believe that she was at home? And did she really have to shoot Jean after taking him for an intruder?

Mike Snipes, a former prosecutor who tried Oliver 's murder trial last year, said the Guyger trial would be a battle for the prosecution and the defense. The nature of the case makes things difficult for both parties, but Snipes said that residents should be certain that the lawsuit will be fair and professionally managed.

"This judge [District Judge Tammy Kemp] is a very good judge. All these lawyers are too, "said Snipes. That does not worry, and Dallas County should not worry about it either. It's the cream of the crop, this judge and these lawyers. "

Police union president Mata said the police and most citizens of the city "will do everything to maintain order", regardless of the verdict.

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It all depends on whether the jury and the public believe that Guyger is in the story or not, said Piquero.

"Some people will not be very happy with the result in both directions," he said. "But we must allow this legal procedure to play ahead."

Personal Editor LaVendrick Smith contributed to this report.

Learn more about Amber Guyger and Botham Jean.

Listen to the Dallas Morning News special audio report, The death of Botham Jean: Amber Guyger at trial

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