Roy Oliver, the white Texas police officer arrested for murder in connection with the shooting death of 15-year-old African-American child Jordan Edwards on April 29, is already free on bail. An arrest warrant for Oliver was issued on Friday afternoon, and just hours later the former Balch Springs police officer turned himself in. According to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, who issued the warrant, charges were filed against Oliver because his actions “intended to cause serious bodily injury and commit an act clearly dangerous to human life that caused the death.”
As Fox News reports, former Texas police officer Roy Oliver’s bail for the pending murder charge was set at just $300,000. After turning himself in at the Parker County Jail, Oliver was booked, posted bail, and was set free.
On the night of April 29, ex-officer Oliver discharged his service rifle at a car full of teenagers. Those children were allegedly fleeing the scene of a party where drinking had occurred. As a result of that shooting, 15-year-old African-American honor-roll student Jordan Edwards was killed. As ATTN reports, the police shooting victim, a football player, has been described as a “straight-A student,” a “talented athlete,” and the “last person you’d expect to die in a police shooting.”
According to his arrest warrant, former Texas police officer Roy Oliver is accused of cutting all of that potential short in a matter of seconds.
Edwards was simply a passenger in the vehicle that was leaving a Texas party on April 29. In the immediate aftermath of the news of his death, former officer Oliver and other officers claimed that the teenagers’ car had been heading toward the police officers responding at the scene, backing up in “an aggressive manner” that caused Roy Oliver and other officers to fear for their lives and/or safety.
Which was why the former Texas officer claimed to have fired at the moving vehicle full of children, shattering the front window of the car. Oliver’s bullets shattered the vehicle’s passenger window, striking 15-year-old Jordan Edwards, killing him. It has been reported that the teen’s fellow passengers (two of whom were the alleged murder victim’s brothers) didn’t realize that their passenger was dead until they realized he was slumped over in his seat.
Ultimately, the original story that officer Roy Oliver reported in connection with the teen’s shooting death didn’t jive with the evidence presented by his body camera. In fact, the video evidence from the scene of the tragic shooting clearly showed that Jordan Edwards was the passenger in a vehicle that was driving away from the officers who had responded to the “unruly” Texas house party. Balch Springs Police Chief Jonathan Haber later confirmed this critical detail.
Officer Roy Oliver was fired over the incident on May 3, but family, friends, loved ones, and strangers to 15-year-old Edwards organized protests that demanded a stiffer punishment than mere job loss over tragic and seemingly wholly preventable loss of Edwards’ young life.
On Friday afternoon, supporters of Jordan Edwards got their wish with the breaking news that former officer Roy Oliver would be charged in the teen’s alleged murder. According to a spokesperson for the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, the investigation into Edwards’ death is ongoing, “will continue, and does not conclude with the arrest.”
Media investigations into the past of Roy Oliver have learned that the former police officer has a history of requiring anger management training. According to personnel records from the Balch Springs Police Department, Oliver was suspended from his job for 16 hours in December of 2013. The suspension was reportedly in connection to his behavior while on the witness stand in a DUI case.
According to his employment records, his behavior was so unprofessional while serving as a witness that a formal complaint was filed against him by the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. He was ultimately out of the job for less than a full day, in addition to being required to take classes in courtroom demeanor and testimony and anger management. It has been reported that Oliver satisfied his 16-hour suspension by trading in two sick days.
“In an email from one of the prosecutors he states you were a `scary person to have in our workroom.'”
What’s more, a recent employment evaluation for the former Texas officer (dated January 27, 2017) also made note of another incident of being “disrespectful to a civilian on a call.”
At this point, neither Roy Oliver nor his attorney has responded to request for comment regarding his low bail amount or speedy release from custody. Likewise, the family of alleged murder victim Jordan Edwards have also declined to comment on the most recent development in the case.
[Featured Image by Parker County Sheriff’s Office/AP Images]