Texas police officer charged with black teenager’s murder

Washington, May 6 (IANS) A police officer in Texas who shot and killed a 15-year-old African-American teenager last week has been charged with murder, the media reported.

Roy Oliver, a patrol officer in the Dallas suburb of Balch Springs, has not been arrested, but a judge on Friday signed a murder warrant and his bond has been set at $300,000, The Washington Post quoted the Dallas Morning News as saying.

Oliver, who had been with the department since July 2011, is accused of opening fire on a car full of teenagers leaving a party on April 29, killing Jordan Edwards.

If convicted of murder, Oliver could face life in prison.

"The warrant was issued due to evidence that suggested Oliver intended to cause serious bodily injury and commit an act clearly dangerous to human life that caused the death of an individual," Melinda Urbina, a public information officer with the Dallas County Sheriff's Office, said in a statement.

"The investigation into the death of Jordan Edwards will continue and does not conclude with the arrest of Roy Oliver," the statement added.

Oliver was fired by the Balch Springs Police Department on Tuesday, three days after he responded to a call about intoxicated teens at a house party, reports The Washington Post.

Police said that as officers dispersed the party they heard gunshots outside.

Then, when officers went outside to investigate, they saw a car backing out of a parking spot.

As they approached the vehicle, it began to drive away.

Oliver opened fire, striking Jordan, who was in the passenger seat.

Jordan is the youngest of the 333 people shot and killed by police so far in 2017, according to a Washington Post database tracking such shootings.

At least 10 people shot and killed by police this year were under 18.

(This story has not been edited by Social News XYZ staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)