Texas Police Change Their Story After A Cop Shot And Killed A Teen Outside A Party

On Saturday night, an officer with the Balch Springs Police Department shot and killed a 15-year-old party-goer in the Dallas suburb. In an initial statement to the press based on the officer’s testimony, Chief Jonathan Haber claimed the vehicle Jordan Edwards was in had driven “aggressively” toward the shooter and another officer. However, Haber amended his statement during a press conference on Monday, saying a review of his personnel’s body camera footage revealed the vehicle was actually driving away from the scene, and that no threatening actions had apparently been taken by Edwards and his associates.

Telling the media he “misspoke” during his previous statement, Haber “[took] responsibility for that” while noting the officer’s decision to shoot at the fleeing vehicle Edwards was in “did not meet our core values.” At the time, Haber’s men and women were responding to reports of a large house party in the neighborhood. When they arrived on the scene, many underage attendees attempted to flee the area to avoid getting caught. After allegedly hearing gunshots outside, the unidentified officer, who has been placed on administrate leave, rushed out of the house and shot Edwards through the passenger window with a rifle.

The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Edwards’ death a homicide, though that doesn’t mean charges will be filed against the officer who killed him. Here is Haber’s original statement from the Balch Springs Police Department Facebook page:

(Via CNN and Dallas Morning News)

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