Roy Oliver, the Texas police officer who killed unarmed black teen Jordan Edwards, is now being indicted for murder, reports The Huffington Post.
The Balch Springs officer shot 15-year-old Edwards in the head as he, his brother and two friends swiftly attempted to drive away on April 29. “A murder indictment for Roy Oliver is appropriate,” Lee Merritt, the Edwards’ family lawyer wrote on Twitter, “but the fact is it’s been +40 years since a cop was convicted in TX.”
We remain cautious. A murder indictment for Roy Oliver is appropriate but the fact is it’s been +40 years since a cop was convicted in TX.
— S. Lee Merritt, Esq. (@MeritLaw) July 17, 2017
Initially, Oliver claimed the car they were driving backed into the police officer’s car, which then prompted him to aim fire. Later, the Balch Springs Police Department changed that story when they witnessed a video of them actually trying to drive away from the car.
Merritt also alleged that the officers did not respond accordingly after the shooting. Instead, they mistreated the teens rather than offering them medical attention. “They were immediately treated as common criminals by other officers; manhandled, intimidated and arrested while their brother lay dying in the front seat,” he said.
Oliver is out on $700,000 bail, according to the Dallas News. There is no reported date for trial, but if convicted, Oliver can serve up to life in prison.