An ex-Texas police officer was found guilty of murder after he shot into a car full of teenagers who were driving away from a house party. Roy Oliver shot and killed 15-year-old Jordan Edwards, who was sitting in the front passenger's seat of the vehicle. He was fired by the Balch Springs Police Department just a few days after the April 2017 incident.
Oliver and his partner, Tyler Gross, were breaking up a house party when they heard gunshots outside. The two ran outside and Oliver grabbed his rifle. He claims that he saw the vehicle driving toward Gross and feared that the car would run over his partner. In an attempt to stop the vehicle, Oliver opened fire on the car and struck Edwards. No weapon was found in the vehicle and police later determined that the gunshots came from a nearby nursing home.
Gross disputed Oliver's story, telling the court that he never felt his life was in danger or had any reason to fire his weapon. Instead, Gross told the jury he ordered the car to stop and struck the rear passenger window with his gun, shattering it. Less than a second after the glass broke, Oliver opened fire on the vehicle. Prosecutors also told the jury that Oliver opened fire after the car had already passed Gross and that Oliver's final shot was taken after the car had passed him.
Jordan's father, Odell Edwards, said that he was "thankful" that the jury found Oliver guilty and that he wanted "jump up and down" after the judge read the verdict.