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An arrest warrant will soon be issued against a Dallas police officer who shot dead a man on his return from his shift and entered an apartment she thought was hers, the police said Friday.
Dallas police chief Renee Hall announced at a news conference that the authorities were in the process of obtaining a warrant for the involved officer, who has not yet been identified.
"At the very beginning of this investigation, the first indications were that they were what we consider the circumstances of a shot involving an officer," Hall told the press. "However, as we continued this investigation, it became clear that we were dealing with a situation that seems very different and unique."
The victim was identified as Botham Jean, who was 26 years old.
According to preliminary information, the duty officer was still not wearing his police uniform after working a full shift when she arrived at the apartment complex where she lives south of downtown Dallas on Thursday night. It was then that she entered "what she thought was her apartment," said the police chief.
The officer, who is white, has "met" Jean, who was black, inside the apartment. It's not clear what was the interaction between them, but at one point she "fired her gun, hitting the victim," according to Mr. Hall.
The officer called 911 for help and the intervention officers provided Jean with assistance at the scene. He was later taken to a local hospital where he died later, said the police chief.
John was a graduate of Harding University in Arkansas in 2016, where he "frequently led worship for chapel and campus events," according to a school statement.
The university said that John was from St. Lucia, a Caribbean island nation.
"The whole Harding family is complaining today about the loss of Botham Jean, who has been so important to us," the statement said.
At the time of his death, he worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, a multinational professional services firm with an office in Dallas.
"It's a terrible tragedy." Botham Jean was a member of the PwC family in our Dallas office and we are just sorry to hear of his passing, "the company said in a statement to ABC News on Friday. .
The officer involved was not injured in the incident and was placed on administrative leave while the police department conducted a joint investigation with the Dallas District Attorney's Office on what to expect. They thought they were shooting.
The Dallas Police Department has since stopped dealing with the incident as part of its "normal shot protocol involving an officer" and has invited the Texas Rangers to conduct an independent investigation. The officer also took a blood sample to search for drugs and alcohol, Hall said.
The Dallas Police Chief stated that she had spoken to Jean's family to express his condolences and assure them that the investigators are working "diligently" on this case.
"Currently, there are more questions than answers, we understand the concerns of the community," Hall told reporters on Friday afternoon. "That's why we work with as much vigor and thoroughness as possible to ensure the integrity of the case and the ministry is respected, so we hope to bring understanding to the family."
ABC News & # 39; Kathleen Hendry and Jenna Kaplan contributed to this report.
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