DALLAS _ Police in the Dallas suburb of Balch Springs on Tuesday fired an officer who fatally shot a 15-year-old as he was leaving a party.
Roy Oliver fired his rifle into a car of unarmed teens Saturday night as they drove away, fatally striking Jordan Edwards in the head. Jordan's brothers were also in the car. Originally, police had said the car was aggressively backing up toward officers.
The fatal shooting of a black teenager riding as a passenger in a car has drawn national outrage. Fatal shootings of unarmed black men have sparked nationwide protests calling for changes to police tactics.
The department said Oliver, who has been on the force nearly six years, violated several policies but would not elaborate. The department declined to identify the police officer's race.
Jordan's family expressed gratitude that Oliver was fired but said in a statement "there remains a long road ahead" toward justice. The family wants Oliver to be arrested on a murder charge and wants other officers who were involved to be held accountable as well.
"After Jordan's two brothers, Vidal and Kevon, along with their two friends, were forced to experience this tragedy up close as occupants of the car, they were immediately treated as common criminals by other officers; manhandled, intimidated and arrested, while their brother lay dying in the front seat," the family said in a statement.
"The officers who extended this nightmare for those children ought to be properly reprimanded as well," the statement said. "Our family is working hard to deal with both the loss of our beloved Jordan and the lingering trauma it has caused our boys."
Attorney Cindy Stormer, a former prosecutor who now represents the officer, asked the public to be patient while the case is being investigated.
"We cannot make any comments at this time," Stormer said in a written statement to The Dallas Morning News. "The incident is recent and still being investigated. Everyone should wait until the facts come out and we know more."
Jordan's family called him a "loving child with a humble and sharing spirit" and said he had an indescribably strong bond with his siblings.
"Not only have Jordan's brothers lost their best friend; they witnessed firsthand his violent, senseless, murder," the statement reads. "Their young lives will forever be altered. No one, let alone young children, should witness such horrific, unexplainable, violence."
The family asked the public to refrain from protests and marches in Jordan's name as they prepare for his funeral, which is planned for Saturday. A YouCaring account has been set up for those who want to financially help the family.
"We do not support nor do we condone any violence or threats made against the Balch Springs Police Department or any other law enforcement agencies," the family said. "What we desire only second to having our beloved Jordan back, is JUSTICE FOR JORDAN."
A vigil honoring the honor-roll student and football player will be held Thursday evening at Virgil T. Irwin Park in Balch Springs.
Police were in the neighborhood after a call about intoxicated kids. Police arrived and found a party. They went inside a house where a party was underway. They heard gunshots and ran outside.
The police account of what happened next changed after Police Chief Jonathan Haber watched body-cam footage of the shooting. Instead of backing toward the officers, the chief said the car had been in reverse but was moving forward when the officer fired. One of Jordan's brothers was driving. Police were yelling for the car to stop.
"It did not meet our core values," Haber said of his officer's actions.
Haber said Tuesday that he initially had it wrong because he relied on the officer's version of events.
"That's my inability to get all the facts like I should have. I rushed to get information out to be transparent. That's all on me. I missed a step."
The Dallas County Sheriff's Department and the district attorney's office are investigating the shooting.
Sgt. Jon Craker of the Balch Springs Police Association declined to comment about Oliver, saying the chief had instructed officers not to speak publicly about the case.
An attorney for Jordan's family, Lee Merritt told NBC News that Jordan's older brother, who was in the car, was handcuffed and held overnight. Although police later said they took the brother and kept him in order to question him as a witness, none of the other teens in the car was taken, he said.
Merritt said police also detained Jordan's father when he showed up at the station asking about his kids. "Balch Springs PD called the Dallas County Sheriff's office and asked if they could restrain Jordan's father because of his 'hostile' behavior," he said.
Merritt said Jordan and four other teens were at a party when they heard gunshots and decided to leave. He said the teens had gotten into a car, then heard someone cursing before three shots were fired into the car.
In a statement, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson said she was deeply saddened by the incident and that both Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez and Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson had promised her "fair, independent and thorough investigations."
"It is imperative that we aggressively pursue these two separate investigations to preserve the trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve," her statement read.
The Texas Legislative Black Caucus said in written statement that its members' prayers were with Jordan's family and that no one "in retreat who has not been accused of a crime should be shot with a rifle." The caucus said it would work in Austin and around the state to foster better relationships between police and African-Americans.
"Once again our nation has been gripped with the death of an unarmed African-American teenager after what seemingly appeared to be the aggressive tactics of a law enforcement official," said Helen Giddings, a Democrat, who represents Dallas. "While the investigation is still ongoing, we must fact that we have lost another young black male at the hands of a law enforcement official."
