Activists demand murder charge for former Balch Springs officer
DALLAS - The Dallas County District Attorney's office is being inundated with calls from across the nation demanding a fired Balch Springs police officer be arrested for murder.
The calls have been generated by social media posts encouraging people to express their outrage. That same outrage was expressed by social activists who met on Wednesday with the district attorney.
Former Officer Roy Oliver shot and killed 15-year-old Jordan Edwards, a Mesquite High School freshman, as he was leaving a party Saturday night.
Oliver claimed he was investigating a call about underage drinking when Edwards and his brothers aggressively backed towards him in a car. But his body camera footage told a different story.
Chief Jonathan Haber fired Oliver Tuesday saying he “violated several department policies.”
Members of the Next Generation Action Network met with Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson Wednesday to talk about the case.
“We're not gonna settle for manslaughter,” said Pastor Frederick Haynes with Friendship West Baptist Church. “We're not gonna settle for anything less than a charge of murder in this case. This is a defining moment. Dallas has an opportunity now to step up and say it’s about justice for all and not just for a few.”
Johnson reportedly told the group to trust that she would do the right thing in the case. She says Jordan Edwards’ death has been investigated by her staff since the night it happened.
The district attorney said they are looking at evidence like the same body cam video the Balch Springs police chief says shows the car Edwards was in driving away from Oliver when he fired his rifle into the passenger window. She is also looking at statements from other occupants in the car and the other Balch Springs officer on scene Saturday night.
“We have no preconceived idea about anything that may have happened that night,” Johnson said. “We are independent. We are thorough. We are fair, and we're gonna be expeditious in what we do.”
Attorney Jasmine Crockett is representing the family. She says they remain optimistic in the DA’s investigation but would prefer that the Texas Rangers take the investigative reigns.
“My preference is absolutely the Rangers because the Rangers are only called in when there is official misconduct of some sort,” Crockett said.
“The district attorney consistently told us to trust her and that she was gonna do a good job, that she was gonna handle this,” said Activist Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood. “And i think we consistently said that trust can’t be assumed in the face of the history of the District Attorney’s office in this county. That trust has to be earned.”
There is still no word on how long it may take for the investigations to run by the DA and the sheriff's office.
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