Former Texas Officer Might Face Murder Charges For Shooting Of Black Teen

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By Amber Randall

Texas prosecutors are contemplating murder charges for the former police officer who shot a black teenager with an AR-15 over the weekend.

The Balch Springs police department fired Roy D. Oliver II Tuesday after body camera footage showed him shooting a car full of teenagers as they drove away from a house party, reports the New York Times. One of the bullets hit 15-year-old Jordan Edwards in the head, causing fatal injuries.

“This is very difficult,” Oliver’s mother Linda told the NYT. “I raised my kids to give back to the community, and he has. He is a very devoted father of two young children, and he is deep in faith.”

Edwards’ family and the community have called for criminal charges to be filed against Oliver as well. (RELATED:Police: Shooting Of 15-Year-Old ‘Didn’t Meet Our Core Values)

“This has happened far too often,” Lee Merritt, a lawyer for the family, said. “We are tired of making the same rhetorical demands, of having the same hashtags.”

The Balch Springs police chief has already questioned the shooting, saying it did not meet the department’s “core values.”

“I do have questions in relation to my observation on the video and what is consistent with the policies and core values of the Balch Springs Police Department,” Police Chief Jonathan Haber said Monday after reviewing the body camera footage.

The Dallas County Sheriff’s Department is currently investigating the shooting.