Many felt justice was served after the former Dallas police officer Roy Oliver was found guilty of murder following the shooting death of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards. Deliberation on Oliver's guilt took roughly 12 hours according to reports with the jury reaching not only a guilty verdict but also finding Oliver guilty on four charges of aggravated assault by a public servant.

During his final statement to the jury prior to deliberation, prosecutor Mike Snipes left the jury with the words, "This innocent kid was not doing anything wrong, nothing," imploring the group of Oliver's peers to bring him to justice. The Edwards family also rejoiced after the verdict was read.

Oliver is now awaiting sentencing.


o y Oliver, the Dallas police officer who shot and killed 15-year-old Jordan Edwards, was indicted for murder by a grand jury on Monday, July 18.

On April 29, Oliver and Officer Tyler Gross were responding to a report of alcohol and drugs at a party. Edwards, his brother, and friends were in a car leaving the party. According to the report, Gross yelled for them to stop and broke a window of the car with his gun, but the car drove off. That's when Oliver discharged his firearm, shooting and killing Edwards.

No alcohol or drugs were found, and both the officers and party-goers heard shots, which were later discovered to be fired at a nearby nursing home. Initially, Police Chief Jonathan Haber claimed the vehicle was reversing toward Oliver in a menacing manner, but that account was later changed to say the car was moving forward and away from the officer.

Oliver, who has since been fired from the Balch Springs (Texas) Police Department, was also indicted for four counts of aggravated assault for shooting into the car which contained Edwards and the other teens. In addition to those charges, Oliver was also indicted on two aggravated assault charges for two unrelated road rage incidents just weeks before Jordan's death. Oliver allegedly pulled a gun on two people in those incidents, but in the first report, Dallas police said no crime occurred. The road rage incidents were investigated more thoroughly after the death of Jordan.

Daryl Washington, the attorney for Jordan's family, blasted the police department's handling of the road-rage incidents, citing that Jordan would still be here today "had Dallas taken some action." The district attorney called Oliver a “danger to the community.”

No date has been set yet for the trial but Jordan's family and their attorney were described as being "cautiously optimistic." The family has also filed a lawsuit against Oliver for wrongful death.

Source: rollingout.com