The white officer, Roy Oliver, fired a rifle at a car carrying teenagers, killing 15-year-old Jordan Edwards, who was black.
DALLAS — A white Texas police officer has been charged with murder in the shooting of a black teenager last week, according to an arrest warrant issued Friday.
The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office issued the warrant for Roy Oliver, who was fired as a Balch Springs officer because of the shooting death of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards on April 29.
A statement from the office cited evidence that suggested Oliver “intended to cause serious bodily injury and commit an act clearly dangerous to human life that caused the death.”
Oliver fired a rifle at a car carrying teenagers who were leaving a party, killing Edwards. The shooting led to protests calling for Oliver to be charged. About 200 people attended a vigil Thursday night in the Dallas suburb.
Sheriff’s spokeswoman Melinda Urbina said the investigation into the shooting continues.
Oliver’s attorney, Cindy Stormer, didn’ t immediately return messages seeking comment. The attorney for the teenager’s family, Lee Merritt, said he would issue a statement later Friday.
Edwards and his two brothers and two other teenagers were going away from an unruly house party in Balch Springs late Saturday night when Oliver opened fire on their vehicle with a rifle. The bullets shattered the front passenger-side window and struck Edwards. Oliver was fired Tuesday for violating department policies.
It took a few moments for Edwards’ 16-year-old brother, who was driving, and other passengers to notice that Edwards was slumped over in his seat.
Records show that Oliver was briefly suspended in 2013 after a complaint about his conduct while serving as a witness in a drunken-driving case.
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