The Dallas County District Attorney’s Office has issued an arrest warrant for Roy Oliver, the police officer who fatally shot Jordan Edwards, a 15-year-old high school student, on April 29. Late Saturday night, Oliver and his fellow officers responded to a report of underage drinking at a house party in Balch Springs, Texas. When the officers detected a black Chevy Impala driving away from the party, they ordered the driver to stop, but the driver ignored. Footage from the officers’ body cams showed Oliver, who had earlier gone to his car to retrieve his patrol rifle, firing at Edwards’s vehicle as it was leaving the scene.
Balch Springs Police Chief Jonathan Haber originally misspoke when reporting the event, saying Oliver shot at the car as it was reversing toward him. Haber later amended his statement to clarify that the car was driving away from Oliver and his fellow officers. At the time he was shot, Edwards was seated in the front passenger seat of the car. His brothers and two friends were also present, but suffered no injuries. None of the passengers in the car were armed.
A local NBC affiliate said it took the passengers a few moments to notice that Edwards had been shot in the head. When Edwards’s 16-year-old brother, who was driving the car, saw his brother slumped over in the seat next to him, he pulled over and called for help. Edwards was eventually taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.