A 15-year-old was fatally shot by an officer in Balch Springs, Texas, leaving a community devastated and the teen’s family demanding justice.
Jordan Edwards, a freshman at Mesquite High School, was leaving a party when he was shot through the passenger’s side window of the vehicle, reports The Dallas Morning News.
Police said they heard gunshots as they responded to call of drunken teens on Saturday night. They claim the vehicle Jordan was in backed down the road toward them “in an aggressive manner.” An officer fired at the vehicle and struck the teen, who was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
No officers were injured in the incident.
Police Chief Jonathan Haber said he did not have information about whether weapons were found in the vehicle.
“On behalf of the entire Balch Springs Police Department, and the city of Balch Springs we express our deep, sincere condolences to the family,” Haber said. “We will continue to reach out to the parents and keep them informed as we move forward from this point.”
The teen’s parents are calling for justice and demanding that the unidentified officer, who has been placed on routine administrative leave, be arrested and charged.
Attorney Lee Merritt says the teens in the vehicle were not the suspects police had initially been called about and had not been drinking. And as for police claims that the vehicle was driving toward them in an aggressive manner, Merritt says it “will not hold water when the facts come out.”
“They were simply leaving a party where they believed danger was, so I can’t wrap my mind around why an officer decided to shoot into the car,” he added.
The shooting is now being investigated by the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office and the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department.
Jordan is remembered as a good kid who came from a great family. “It could have easily been my son,” said Chris Cano Sr., whose son played football with Edwards. He added that Jordan “was not a thug, and he had great parents.”
