Fired Texas police officer faces murder charge in teen's death
6-year veteran turns himself in, free on $300,000 bond.
A fired Dallas-area police officer was charged with murder Friday in the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old as he left a weekend party.
The Balch Springs officer, Roy Oliver, turned himself into authorities and was freed on $300,000 bond. Murder is punishable by up to life in prison.
Oliver, 37, fired a rifle into a car full of teenagers as they drove away from a party on April 29, striking Jordan Edwards, a high school freshman, in the head.
Balch Springs Police Chief Jonathan Haber said he terminated the six-year veteran of the department for vio- lating policies, though he has not provided specifics.
Oliver was the second of two officers who responded to a report of underage drinking the night Jordan was killed. After gunfire was heard in the area, the 15-year
old and four other teenagers got into their car to leave. Originally, police had said
Oliver fired on the vehicle because it was backing up aggressively toward him
and the other officer. But the department revised its account after reviewing body-cam video, saying the car was driving away when Oliver fired.
The white officer’s shooting of an unarmed black teen- ager has renewed allega-
tions nationwide that racial bias among police has led to deadly overreactions. Jordan’s family has asked peo- ple not to protest until after his funeral today.
An attorney for Jordan’s family, Lee Merritt, said Jordan’s parents were “grate- ful” the investigators sought a murder charge.
“It’s a big deal. I think it begins to at least give the appearance that the state is not going to sweep this
clear wrong under the rug as it’s done in the past,” Mer- ritt said. “However, we also have to learn from history that we don’t have a conviction yet. And so we still have some ways to go.”
Jordan was a straight-A student and a standout athlete who was beloved by his schoolmates at Mesquite High School. He played on the freshman football team and was supposed to begin playing defensive back this spring.
Head football coach Jeff Fleener said he was “crushed and heartbroken” when he found out Jordan had been killed.
“The best thing in the world or the worst thing in the world would happen, and he’d smile, and everything would be OK,” the coach said. “You create a checklist of everything you would want in a player, a son, a teammate, a friend, and Jordan had all that. He was that kid.”
Oliver and a second officer, both wearing body cameras, went into the house where the party was being held. They were talking to the host when they heard what sounded like gunshots, the arrest warrant affidavit says. Both went outside to see what was going on and saw several p eople running toward a nearby intersection. The second officer walked toward the area where he thought the shots has been fired.
Oliver went to the patrol car and got his rifle.
The second officer tried to stop a black Chevrolet Impala at the intersection. The car slowly reversed and the second officer pulled his gun and walked toward the passenger side of the car.
As the car started to drive forward, the officer used his gun to break the rear passenger window.
That’s when Oliver got behind the officer and fired several rounds into the car as it drove past him.
Other Balch Springs officers stopped the car on Bishop Drive, about two blocks from the party. Jordan Edwards had a gunshot wound to his head. He was taken to a hospital by helicopter.