The Texas Cop Who Killed Unarmed Football Player Christian Taylor Has Been Fired

On Saturday, we brought you news that a 19-year-old Angelo State University player, Christian Taylor, was killed by a rookie police officer in Arlington, Texas. The event unfolded at a car dealership after a security company called 911 about a burglary in process. The officer, 49-year-old Brad Miller, was still undergoing field training after entering the force this past spring. Following the incident, Miller was immediately placed on administrative leave.

At the time, officers reported “an altercation” before Miller discharged his weapon. Taylor was not armed and died at the scene. Surveillance video reportedly suggested “criminal activity” with Taylor allegedly driving through the auto dealership’s showroom glass. CNN reports that Miller has been fired from the police force for “exercising poor judgment.” Police Chief Will Johnson addressed the press:

“Based on a preponderance of evidence available to me and the facts revealed by the investigative team, I have decided to terminate Officer Miller’s employment with the Arlington Police Department for exercising poor judgment.”

Miller reportedly shot Taylor several times after the 19-year-old man allegedly refused to cooperate: “He feared that he would be overpowered by Taylor, who was moving quickly toward him while cursing.” Miller was joined (at an indeterminate time) by his training officer, a 19-year veteran, and “there was no physical contact between Taylor and the officers.” Chief Johnson said that Miller’s “unilateral decision to enter the building” without his training officer “created an environment of cascading consequences that produced an unrecoverable outcome.”

A criminal investigation into Miller’s actions is pending. A rally for Christian Taylor is currently being held outside the Arlington Police Department. We will update this story with further developments.

Here are some tweets that followed Chief Johnson’s press conference.

(via CNN & Mediaite)

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