Victim's friend weeps on the stand during former Balch Springs officer's wrongful death trial
DALLAS - Testimony began Monday in the wrongful death lawsuit against a former Balch Springs police officer.
Roy Oliver is currently serving a 15-year sentence for the murder of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards, the new trial will ask a jury to consider whether the family is owed monetary damages for their son's death.
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The teen died in 2017 after Oliver fired several shots into a car as Edwards and other teens tried to flee from police at a house party.
The jury of six is made up of five men and one woman: Three are white, two are Asian, and one juror is Black.
Oliver's attorney repeatedly showed jurors body camera video that captured the moments leading up to Edwards' death.
As officers arrived for a complaint about the party shots were fired.
The two officers then rushed to respond.
One officer yelled for an Impala leaving the party to stop.
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Ex-Balch Springs Officer Roy Oliver denied appeal for murder of Jordan Edwards
Former Balch Springs police officer Roy Oliver, who was convicted of murdering 15-year-old Jordan Edwards in 2017, will not get a new trial.
Jordan Edwards' friend, who was driving the car at the time of the shooting, broke down on the witness stand as he told a jury about the moment he saw his brother limp and covered in blood.
Eric Knight told the jury he did not realize it was a police officer yelling at him to stop.
"Main thing we heard was officer saying 'stop the f'ing car, stop the f'ing car'. We heard glass shatter and saw shots fired," Knight told FOX 4 after the hearing.
Officer Roy Oliver had retrieved his high-powered rifle and fired 5 shots at the fleeing car.
His attorney argued Oliver thought the car was going to hit the officer who was yelling for the car to stop.
We asked Knight if he believed the officers were in danger.
"From my viewpoint no, I don't think so. I am not trained as a police officer, I know they were responding to what they heard, doing their job. From my point of view, I don't think either were in harm's way from the car," he said.
In one of the most difficult moments of the day jurors saw photos of Edwards' limp body next to a strawberry soda he had just gotten at a store.
"He was always happy and smiling, had his whole future in front of him," Knight said.
Oliver was in court for Monday's hearing. He did not show any emotion, but he did take notes throughout the day.
The jury's decision will have to be unanimous.