An arrest warrant was issued Friday for former Balch Springs officer Roy Oliver regarding the 2017 murder of 15-year-old JordanEdwards. Wednesday night, a Texas jury deliberated for 12 hours before deciding to sentence Oliver to 15 years in prison, plus a $10,000 fine for his crime.
In April 2017, police were dispatched to a house party in Balch Springs with reports of underage drinking. Gunshots were heard outside the home, and in all of the commotion of people fleeing the scene, the police attempt to stop a vehicle full of teens, to include Jordan. Officer Tyler Gross walked up to the passenger door of the car and punched the window, breaking it. Then Oliver fired several times into the vehicle, shooting Jordan. His reason was he believed the vehicle was reversing “aggressively” towards his partner. However, dash cam footage showed the car was actually driving away from police when the shots were fired.
Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson, described Oliver as a “killer in blue” who violated his oath to protect citizens, according to CNN.
It’s pretty rare for police officers to be convicted in shooting deaths these days. After the sentencing, Jordan’s family attorney Daryl Washington stated, “We don’t want another parent to have to go through what this family has had to deal with. This case is not just about Jordan. It’s about Tamir Rice. It’s about Walter Scott. It’s about Alton Sterling. It’s about every African-American … who have been killed and who have not gotten justice.”
Jordan’s family says they believe the prison sentence is too lenient. “He can actually see life again after 15 years, and that’s not enough because Jordan can’t see life again,” said Jordan’s stepmother, Charmaine Edwards.
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