Former Police Officer Roy Oliver was found guilty of murder in the 2017 death of Jordan Edwards, an unarmed 15-year-old black teen whose death garnered attention nationwide attention as part of the debate on the use of force by law enforcement, particularly when the target is young black males. The jury found Oliver, 38, not guilty on two counts of aggravated assault for shooting into a car carrying five unarmed teens in April 2017. Oliver was a former member of the Balch Springs Police Department who on the night of April 29, 2017, fired his rifle at the vehicle of teenagers, with Edwards’ brother Vidal Allen driving and Jordan in the passenger seat, that was driving away from him, killing Edwards. Officers at the scene said they were responding to a call from “drunk teens.” The Balch Springs police chief noted Oliver — who was with a second officer, Tyler Gross, shot at the teens as the car drove away. However, Gross testified that he never felt like he was in danger or that he needed to use lethal force, the Associated Press reported. These disparities, particularly the killing of African Americans by police, has prompted the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, a popular civil rights movement aimed at ending police violence and dismantling structural racism.
Former Texas police officer Roy Oliver is found guilty in the murder of 15-year old Mesquite High School freshman Jordan Edwards.