Protesters condemning the shooting death of Botham Jean inside his Dallas apartment by an off-duty police officer disrupted a city council meeting Wednesday, prompting a recess to quell the outbursts.
"What does it take for you to see that we are (expletive) tired," screamed an angry mother. "We are sick and tired of being tired."
Dozens of demonstrators who said they wanted the city to establish a civilian board to review police conduct chanted, "No justice, no peace," Wednesday, leading Mayor Mike Rawlings to temporarily halt the proceedings.
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Rawlings and the Dallas City Council resumed the meeting after assuring everyone in the gallery that they would have their turn to speak at the conclusion of the council's planned agenda Wednesday.
"We want to make sure we do two things, get our business done today and we listen to everyone carefully because this is very important," Rawlings said.
Protesters condemned Jean's death, who was shot after the officer said she mistook Jean's apartment for her own.
Officer Amber Guyger was arrested three days later on a charge of manslaughter and has since been released from jail on bond.
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About 200 people held a demonstration Monday. Police Chief U. Renee Hall, in a statement the next day, criticized the police use of "pepper balls" on that crowd.
"How do you expect my son to respect law enforcement when you hit him with a pepper ball? Y'all hit my 6-year-old child with your pepper ball."
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Reverend Michael Waters, an activist who has repeatedly called for the removal of the city's Confederate monuments, said Jean's death is part of a pattern in Dallas.
"On April 25, city council had the opportunity to make a statement to the world that black lives matter. Instead council decided to uphold the legacy of white supremacy in Dallas...by not bringing down monuments to white supremacy," he said.
"I want you to see historical connection. Only a few blocks from where a monument to white supremacy stands, a young black man was executed in his own home. When you put that together, the city decided black lives don't matter."
