Former police officer Roy Oliver began his prison sentence for the murder of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards. On Sept. 17, Oliver was transferred from the Dallas County Jail to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Oliver, 38, was sentenced to a 15-year term for the murder of Edwards, which took place on the night of April 29, 2017.
Police responded to a call about noise and said they heard gunshots when they arrived. Oliver claimed that a car began to back down toward them and he feared for his life. He pulled out a rifle and began firing at the car. A bullet struck Jordan Edwards in the head. However, Oliver’s former partner, officer Tyler Gross, testified that he did not fear for his life and didn’t feel the need to fire his own weapon.
Edwards, 15, was rushed to the hospital, but he succumbed to his injury. The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death a homicide.
Edwards’ family and friends said that he was an honor student who made straight A’s and was a standout athlete. He never had disciplinary problems in school.
Oliver was found guilty of murder on Aug. 30.
“This case for us, the state of Texas, was always about Jordan Edwards. It was not about a political statement,” the lead prosecutor, Dallas County Assistant District Attorney Michael Snipes, said in a statement. “It was about a young man who I came to love.”
