Texas police change story on the lead-up to the death of unarmed 15-year-old
A Texas police chief has changed his interpretation of events that led to the death of an unarmed 15-year-old boy who was shot by a police officer over the weekend, The New York Times reports. The police department of Balch Springs, Texas, originally argued Sunday that the boy, Jordan Edwards, was fired upon because he was the passenger in a car that was reversing toward an officer in an "aggressive manner." On Monday, police chief Jonathan Haber said that the car was actually "moving forward as the officers approached."
"It did not meet our core values," Haber added.
Edwards was an honor student and freshman at Mesquite High School. He was attending a house party when police responded to reports of underage drinking. Edwards was with four other teens in the car leaving the party when he was fatally shot in the head.
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The Balch Springs police department discourages officers from ever shooting at cars, leading to more confusion around the incident. "Even if cops need to shoot at a moving car, they're encouraged to only shoot at the driver — only if there's an immediate threat to someone's life," the New York Daily News reports.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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