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 think the police officer may have thought that Jordan was a threat, but he was mistaken. I think the thing that should happen to the officer is exactly what did happen to him. I would be mad and sad.
I agree with you. I don't think the officer thought this out, and just reacted. How would you want to honor Jordan? Thanks for the comment!
I do not have any idea why he would shoot at him. I think he should serve at least some time in prison. I would be absolutely devastated and would try to prevent future things such as these from happening ever again.
I don't know why the policeman would shoot at the car, but it was a stupid thing to do. I think the officer should be put in jail for a while. If I were Jordan's friend, I would be devastated that something like this happened. I think that there needs to be bigger consequences for these types of things.
Maybe the officer got a little trigger happy? Maybe he was racist? If I were Jordan's classmate, I would be outraged. Police are supposed to protect us, not shoot us. I think we need to educate officers on the consequences of their actions.
Yes. Its hard telling if this officer was "trigger happy" or racist. I also agree that officers should be educated and should learn that shooting should never be the first option. Thanks for the comment!
I can't imagine what was going through the officers head when he fired at Jordan. I believe he has a fit punishment and should be in prison for his actions. I would be shocked, the police are their to protect everyone not be firing rifles into cars driving away from them. I believe every police department should have to go through classes of racism yearly and make sure they understand the importance of it.
I agree with you. Police departments are supposed to protect the citizens. Because this boy was shot for no apparent reason, I'm sure the people of this specific community don't know how to react and aren't trusting their police officers. Its only a matter of time until police departments have no trust. Thanks for the comment!
I'm not sure why the officer shot Jordan Edwards. Perhaps he felt like he was in danger and it was instinct to shoot, or maybe there's more to the story than the camera footage revealed. However, the evidence shows that Edwards was driving away, so I think the officer should be charged for murder. I would be shocked if I were Jordan's friend or classmate, and I probably wouldn't know how to react. I feel that racism in police departments has become an issue because the media focuses and places all attention on stories such as this one.
I agree! If the situation had been different, I think it would be okay for the officer to fire. Because the video footage revealed no immediate threat, I think this situation could have been handled differently. The media focuses on this subject alot and should continue to help with awareness. Thanks for the comment!
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