As thousands of people ascend upon Washington DC for the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington, seeking racial justice, police reform and voting rights, the cops who killed George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks and Jacob Blake are yet to be brought to justice.
Regardless of how much progress has been made in recent months as far as making social justice and police brutality against POC a priority in this country, more often than not police get away with murdering Black men.
With that in mind, it’s fitting to remember the life of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards who, in 2017, was assassinated by Oliver, a former cop — and the fact that at the VERY least, justice was served in this case.
On August 10th, 2020, a Texas appeals court upheld the murder conviction and 15-year sentence for Oliver, a former Balch Springs officer.
In his appeal, Oliver’s lawyers argued that there were more than a dozen separate issues with his trial — including that no reasonable juror could’ve rejected his defense that he was acting to protect his partner and that the court allowed evidence it should not have.
The appeals court disagreed about each of these issues.
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TSL THROWBACK
COP CONVICTED OF MURDERING 15-YEAR-OLD BLACK TEEN
Texas cop Roy Oliver was found guilty of murder on Tuesday for shooting and killing unarmed 15-year-old Jordan Edwards as he was inside of a car leaving a house party.
According to The Washington Post, “Oliver testified during the Dallas County trial that he opened fire after seeing the car move toward his partner. He says he thought his partner was in danger. But his partner told jurors he didnt fear for his life and never felt the need to fire his weapon.”
BREAKING: White former Texas police officer convicted of murder for killing unarmed black teenager leaving house party.
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 28, 2018
Oliver and and his partner Tyler Gross were breaking up the house party and Gross allegedly ordered the car that Edwards was in to stop. The Post reports that “prosecutors said Oliver fired after the vehicle passed Gross” which contradicts Oliver’s argument.
There are countless reports of cops getting away with killing unarmed Black teens and adults, so it’s always a surprise when there is actually justice served. Rest in power, Jordan Edwards.
Now, we need this to become the norm and not an aberration.
