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Dallas ex-officer Amber Guyger was just convicted of murder. Here’s why some activists want her partner fired

Posted at 4:06 PM, Oct 01, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-01 20:14:18-04

Moments before Amber Guyger killed her neighbor, allegedly mistaking his apartment for her own, the then-Dallas officer was on the phone with her police partner.

But the two didn’t have just a professional relationship. Guyger testified thatshe once had an affair with her married partner, Martin Rivera, one that she later described as “morally wrong.”

Yet even after Guyger killed Botham Jean, she found timeto text Riveraand even sent sexual messages to him days later, a prosecutor said.

Rivera testified he deleted the texts between him and Guyger from the night of the shooting,

“That’s not something that I would want to be reminded of,” Rivera said. “And I don’t keep messages saved unless it’s of an importance to me.”

Now, activist groups such as Mothers Against Police Brutality and Next Generation Action Network are calling for Rivera to be fired from the Dallas Police Department, CNN affiliate KTVT said.

But the department can’t comment on testimony Rivera gave during the trial until the judge removes a gag order, DPD spokeswoman Sgt. Nicole Walton said.

And any comment on Rivera’s future with DPD will have to wait until after the sentencing phase of Guyger’s trial, Walton told CNN. The sentencing phase started Tuesday afternoon.

While Guyger was fired from the Dallas Police Department, Rivera is still assigned to a patrol division. He joined the force in 2002 and now holds the rank of senior corporal.