Relatives of the white Dallas cop who fatally shot her black neighbor are attempting to do damage control after being labeled “racists” by social media users.
Amber Guyger’s brother-in-law came forward Tuesday and defended the family after photos circulated online showing him and others making hand gestures that many believed were “white power” symbols.
“None of these are racist photos,” explained Noe Garza, 43. “I am not racist.”
Speaking to the Dallas Morning News, Garza claimed that his side of the family was of Mexican descent — and that the gestures were just meant to be “silly and fun.”
“I don’t care about your nationality,” he said. “I don’t care about the color of your skin. We all bleed red.”
One of the photos in question shows Garza — who is married to Officer Guyger’s sister — at a Joe’s Crab Shack with her and several others in 2016. He can be seen making a hand signal, which according to some, is used by white supremacists.
Garza, however, insisted that he was simply making a “6” and “9” symbol to represent the age of his father-in-law.
“It’s was his 69th birthday, so it was a 69,” Garza said, noting how they were out celebrating.
“That’s all it was.”
Another photo shows Guyger standing alongside her mother as she dons an “All Lives Matter” t-shirt. Many believe that the saying is a diss towards the Black Lives Matter movement.
“This evil bitch gets her kill first, think about it later mentality from her mother,” wrote one Twitter user, in reference to Guyger.
Garza told the News that his mother-in-law had received the shirt from her husband following the 2016 ambush killings of five Dallas police officers.
“[I hate] the fact that I have to prove I’m not racist,” he said.
Guyger, a four year veteran with the Dallas Police Department, is accused of killing 26-year-old Botham Jean inside his apartment after confusing it for her own. She has been charged with manslaughter.
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