Texas Officer Faces Murder Charge After Fatally Shooting Teen

Roy Oliver, the white Texas police officer who was fired for shooting a 15-year-old Black boy, has been charged with murder Friday.

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In a statement, the Dallas County Sheriff's Department cited evidence that suggested Oliver "intended to cause serious bodily injury and commit an act clearly dangerous to human life that caused the death of an individual."

The shooting took place in the primarily Black and Latino neighborhood of Balch Springs, southeast of Dallas. Oliver, 37, fired rounds from a rifle into a car of teenagers as they drove aways from a party Saturday night. Jordan Edwards, one of the passengers in the car, was shot in the head. Oliver was fired on Tuesday for violating department policies. 

"Although this does not take away the excruciating pain caused by the loss of a son, brother and friend," Lee Merritt, the attorney for the Edwards family, said in a statement, "the announcement that the appropriate warrant has been issued for the arrest of Roy Oliver on the charge of murder has brought a bit of reprieve in a time of intense mourning."

"Although we realize that there remain significant obstacles ahead on the road to justice, this action brings hope that the justice system will bend against the overwhelming weight of our frustration."

Oliver turned himself in after the warrant was issued and was later released after posting a US$300,000 bond. 

Balch Springs Police said Oliver was the second of two officers who responded to a report of underage drinking. When they went into the house party and spoke to the host, they heard what they said "sounded like gunshots." Spotting the vehicle leaving, Oliver opened fire from his rifle.

Personnel records show that Oliver was briefly suspended in 2013 following a complaint about his conduct while serving as a witness in a drunken-driving case. An evaluation in 2017 also noted one instance when Oliver was reprimanded for being "disrespectful to a civilian on a call." 

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Texas Police Officer Fired for Fatally Shooting Jordan Edwards

The police originally reported that Edwards’ vehicle was driving aggressively towards the officers, but police body-camera footage from the scene showed the opposite. 

Edwards was described as a good student and popular athlete by family and friends. He and the other teenagers decided to leave the unruly party when they heard gunshots and police arriving, Merritt said.

The Edwards family planned a private funeral service on Saturday and has asked supporters to avoid holding any protests or vigils until the teenager is laid to rest. 

About 200 people attended a vigil in a Balch Springs park next to the scene of the shooting on Thursday.

“There are a number of persons who have died tragically within our city over many decades,” Michael Waters, a Dallas pastor, said at the vigil. “While Jordan Edwards is the headline, we are not just fighting for the memory of Jordan Edwards and for justice for him, but for many other families who still today have not received the justice they rightfully deserve.”