Fired Balch Springs officer who killed Jordan Edwards faces murder charge

[Chicago1980]

Source: The Dallas (Morning) News

Fired Balch Springs officer who killed Jordan Edwards faces murder charge

Jennifer Emily Tasha Tsiaperas

A fired Balch Springs officer faces a murder charge in the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards over the weekend as he left a party.
A judge signed a murder warrant Friday afternoon. The officer, Roy Oliver, has not yet been arrested and could turn himself into authorities. Bond is set for $300,000. Murder is punishable by up to life in prison.

Oliver, 37, fired a rifle into a car full of teenagers as it drove away from a party Saturday night, striking the Mesquite High freshman in the head.

Balch Springs Police Chief Jonathan Haber said he terminated the six-year veteran of the department for violating policies, though he has refused to provide specifics.

Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2017/05/05/fired-balch-springs-officer-killed-jordan-edwards-faces-murder-charge

[BumRushDaShow]

1. Unfortunately

they'll probably never be able to convict on a murder charge. Negligent homicide/manslaughter maybe.

[MicaelS]

3. Go for the highest charge you can.

Plea it down.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. Too many cases have been lost doing that

because "murder" requires "intent" and unfortunately when it comes to black males killed by cops, the cops usually win in either a jury trial or before a judge. Very few do plea deals like what happened with Walter Scott's killer.

[mr_lebowski]

5. Sounds like an already-fired cop though ... probably throw him to the wolves if for no other reason

... than the 'see, we actually DO SOMETHING about cases like this' PR factor.

Anyone know if there's reason to suspect this nutjob was targeting the particular young man who's life he so callously ended (or perhaps someone else's in the vicinity)? OR was this a just one of those run-of-the-mill 'some uppity n*****s done got me FIRED, so I'ma kill me one of 'em!'.

That's likely the difference between a 1st and 2nd degree beef, so ... just curious if it's known.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. I have seen reports of "fired" cops

who after trial and acquittal, were either reinstated or (due to the bad P.R. of a case) moved to a different place and were hired into a similar LOE position. So "firing" is not necessarily a good indicator of a final outcome.

The way they keep describing this, it just sounds like some primordial LOE reaction of "I'm gonna keep firing and firing until the 'thing' (person or vehicle or whatever) I'm firing at stops moving". I don't think the 15 year old was the target per se since he wasn't driving but you see story after story of this type of indiscriminate firing of a weapon - in some cases where you'll have multiple LOE unleashing what can amount to hundreds of bullets at a suspect or suspects in vehicles.

[C Moon]

2. And I wouldn't doubt, pardoned by Trump (if that's possible).

[Crabby Appleton]

6. Not possible

trump can pardon federal offenses, not state charges.