JOSHUA BROWN, a key witness in the murder trial of a former Dallas police officer who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing a black man inside his own home, was himself shot to death outside his apartment complex last weekend.

Brown, 28, lived across the hall from Botham Jean, a black 26-year-old accountant, and testified in the murder case against Amber Guyger, a white police officer who was off-duty when she entered Jean’s apartment and shot him to death.

His family’s lawyer, S. Lee Merritt, told DailyMail.com he is refusing to rule out that police were somehow involved in the shooting that took Brown’s life.

He said: “’It is a possibility. I don’t have any evidence other than the timing, but I am not ruling anything out. But what I do know is that Joshua was targeted. This was an assassination. He pulled into his parking lot and he was shot. The perpetrators fled. They didn’t steal anything from him.

“This is a kid who had no gang ties, there was no lover’s quarrel. He was an AirBnB host and roofer. All the usual suspects of crime, drugs and sex are simply not there.”

GENUINE

Merritt described Brown as ‘a truly genuine soul that was loved deeply by his family and friends.’

‘I will work to get to the bottom of his murder,’ he added.

Brown lived across the hall from Jean at Dallas’ South Side Flats apartments last year when officer Amber Guyger walked into Jean’s apartment, mistaking it for her own, and killed Jean.

His testimony during Guyger’s murder trial was key because he was able to describe the officer’s actions immediately after she killed their neighbour, a 26-year-old accountant.

Brown was killed at the Atera Apartments, about five miles from his former complex where he, Guyger and Jean all lived.

Authorities have not said whether there’s any connection between Brown’s death and his testimony in Guyger’s trial, which ended last week.

SUSPECTS

Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall said in a statement on Sunday afternoon:  “There are no suspects or motives at this time. We are committed to solving this case and will work diligently to apprehend the individuals responsible for Brown’s death.”

Witnesses flagged down Dallas police officers around 10:30 p.m. local time Friday and directed them to Brown, who was lying in the parking lot of his apartment complex with multiple gunshot wounds to his lower body, police said.