Amidst reports of conflicts in Syria, tension with North Korea, and a revamped government budget, another unsettling story has come to light. This past Saturday, Jordan Edwards, a fifteen-year-old African American boy, was fatally shot by a police officer in Dallas, Texas. Officers had been called to break up a party in Balch Springs that he had been attending. He and his four friends were in the process of leaving the party in a vehicle when Officer Roy Oliver fired a rifle into the passenger’s side, killing the young boy.
Conflicting stories
At first, it was claimed that the car was being driven backward “in an aggressive manner,” in an attempt to harm the cops who were on site.
However, after further investigation, the Balch Springs police admitted on Monday that the car had actually been driving away when Oliver shot at them with a rifle.
At a press conference held on Monday, Police Chief Jonathan Haber admitted that after reviewing dashcam footage, it obvious that the vehicle the boys were in had been "moving forward as the officers approached.” It has also since been revealed that Oliver, who was at first placed on administrative leave, has been fired.
The police said that the officers had been responding to a call they received about several drunk, underage "kids" who were said to have been wandering around the neighborhood at around 11 p.m. Saturday and that they then heard gunshots outside the party.
However, witnesses who were at the party have said that they did not hear any gunshots until the cops arrived. NPR’s Wade Goodwyn further reported, “None of the teens were carrying weapons, nor were they drunk.”
Nationwide response
In a statement issued by the Edwards' family on Tuesday, they said, “Not only have Jordan’s brothers lost their best friend; they witnessed firsthand his violent, senseless, murder.
Their young lives will forever be altered. No one, let alone young children, should witness such horrific, unexplainable, violence.” It’s been highlighted that Edwards was a good student with a 3.5 GPA, and he was a valued member of his school’s football team. A teammate, Chris Cano Jr., told CBS News, “He was the best running back I ever played with.
I'll never forget him.”
This incident has sparked outrage nationwide, with people taking to the internet using the hashtag #JordanEdwards to relay their own disbelief and anger. The Women's March official Twitter even voiced their own outrage, tweeting, "He was 15. There are no words."
