The Balch Springs Police Officer who Allegedly Shot 15-year-old Jordan Edwards is Charged with Murder
On Friday, May 5, 2017, the former Balch Springs, Texas, police officer who allegedly shot and killed unarmed 15-year-old Jordan Edwards was arrested and charged with the teen’s murder. The officer had worked as a law enforcement officer in Balch Springs for six years before being fired, following the alleged shooting. He turned himself in Friday and was later released on bail. His burden is to prove that he acted reasonably when the teen was allegedly shot.
The funeral for Edwards was held at the Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church on Saturday. The family recognizes that the outrage over Edwards’ death allegedly at the hands of a police officer is significant. They have asked to have time to grieve their loss before having to deal with mass protests and their loved one being made into a martyr.
Additional facts continue to be revealed about the April 29, 2017, incident which took the life of Edwards, who was an African-American student at Mesquite High School. Police had responded to a call about underage drinking at a party. Officers were inside the home where the alleged drinking party was occurring when they heard shots outside. Police officers then went outside. A vehicle full of teenagers backed out and then was headed away from police when an officer allegedly fired shots into the car.
One of the allegedly indiscriminate shots struck Edwards in the head. The shooting victim’s 16-year-old brother was driving. Those in the car later reported that, for several minutes, they didn’t know Jordan had been shot. It was approximately 15 minutes after the shooting that Edwards first received medical attention. He was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A search was done of the vehicle that the teens were in, and there were no weapons. Reportedly, none of the kids in the car had any history of weapons possession. In fact, it has been reported that none of them had ever had encounters with law enforcement before. By all reports, Edwards was a very likeable person who had completely stayed out of trouble.
–Guest Contributor
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