A 15 year old, Jordan Edwards, was shot and killed Saturday night as he and a group of friends were leaving a house party. The party had attracted a lot of teens so a neighbor called police, worried about possible underage drinking. When Balch Springs officers showed up, the teens scattered, including Edwards and a few of his friends, who piled into a car driven by his older brother. The car then took off. One officer shot into the vehicle with a rifle as it was driving away, hitting Edwards in the head. The officer stated he fired at the car because it was "driving aggressively toward him and another officer." Camera footage revealed that the car was driving forward, away from the officers. The officer is now charged for murder and relieved of all duties. Friends, neighbors, and classmates of Jordan are saying he was "well liked, kind, humble, hardworking, and an honor roll student. He made everyone's day better." Jordan's football team plans to keep Jordan's locker intact and design a helmet decal with his freshman number-- No. 11-- to honor him.
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Questions:
1. Why do you think the officer shot Jordan Edwards? What do you think should happen to the officer?
2. If you were Jordan's friend or classmate, how would you react?
3. What do you think can be done to help with the issue of racism in police departments?
I think the officer shot at Edwards and the car because he was probably trying to stop the car. It was adrenaline and instinct. Because camera footage reveals the car opposing no serious threat and traveling away from the officer, I think the officer should get charged for murder and should be suspended from his police duties for some time. If I had known Jordan, I would be shocked and wouldn't know how to react. I think more colored men and women should become involved in police departments. Police officers should also have to take annual classes to prevent shootings when they are not needed. I think the class should cover some discriminating lessons.
Replies
I agree. I think the officer should be tried like any regular person, especially because there wasn't a reason to shoot. Police departments should definitely re-educate officers before its too late. Thanks for the comment!
I agree that he probably shot because of instinct as soon as he saw the car start to move. I would obviously be really upset about the situation that had caused one of my friends to die and I would be very shocked. I also agree that they should hire more colored people into the force, but I think that he would have shot at anyone no matter the color.
He for some reason thought it was a good idea to stop them. They obviously didn't want people getting away from the area. I would be sad and angry about this. Especially when the guy lied about the car coming at the two police when it wasn't. I don't think you can keep racism out of police departments. It's a terrible thing but people are who they are and won't change.
I agree. I think there was an easier way instead of shooting. I'm sure the officer could have read the license plate and react using that. Racism is hard to control, but I think overtime it will be able to be resolved. Thanks for the comment!
I think that officer Edwards shot because he was trying to stop the car from getting away. From his perspective, the fact that they were trying to get away would be a sure sign of guilt, and he might have been trying to stop them from getting away so they wouldn't be driving drunk and potentially hurt someone. I think that he should be tried for murder, but no more than 2nd degree, since he wasn't planning on killing the kid. If I were one of Jordan's peers, I would feel shocked and upset. To help with racism in the police departments, I think that the police should involve more black people. However, I don't think this has anything to do with race; I think that the officer would have reacted just the same way if Jordan was white, Asian, Latino, or any other race.
I would also like to disagree. He can't assume that and then decide that he was going to shoot the car. He and his friends were respectable kids in the community. I think that Officer Edwards should get tried as well for murder but I personally think that if these were kids were white the outcome probably would have completely different.
I disagree. There is no proof that the boys were drinking. I don't think they were because Jordan and his friends are good, smart, talented kids. They were on the varsity football team has freshmen. I agree, however, that the officer shouldn't get charged higher than 2nd degree murder. Thanks for the comment!
Because he was not thinking straight or was drunk when he fired the rifle at the car. Well, It's already happening He has been relieved of duty and will be tried on Murder and clearly be found guilty. I would be sad and Really pissed all at the same time. Kinda of hard to do that since we don't know if he was racist in the first place, but to deal with it would be to only give tasers to the racists ones.
I think it was just his instinct but it was still wrong to do it because they were driving away unarmed. I really don't think it was racist if he was driving away he wouldn't be thinking about the teen's race.
I think the officer killed the kid as the kid was not obeying the officer's order and he got aggressive and shot him. I think he should be life sentenced for what he did, If I were his friend I would be so sad and shock to just lose someone who just met a few hours ago. I think there should be both white and black police officers so that they can get along just like anyone else.
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