Ex-Balch Springs officer convicted of murdering teen takes the stand again

In a rare wrongful death civil trial against a police officer convicted of murdering a 15-year-old took the stand again Thursday.

DALLAS - In a rare wrongful death civil trial against a police officer convicted of murdering a 15-year-old took the stand again Thursday.

Next week, a jury will be tasked with deciding if he should be financially responsible for millions of dollars.

Former Balch Springs Officer Roy Oliver is already serving time for the murder of Jordan Edwards.

The purpose of the civil trial is to determine what if any financial Roy Oliver should be ordered to pay.

Victim's friend weeps on the stand during former Balch Springs officer's wrongful death trial

Testimony is expected to begin Monday in the wrongful death lawsuit against former Balch Springs police officer Roy Oliver, who is serving a 15-year prison sentence for the murder of Jordan Edwards.

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In 2018, Roy was convicted of murdering Jordan, who was 15 years old at the time.

Jordan was a passenger in a car that was leaving a party after someone at the gathering fired shots into the air.

Odell Edwards says nearly six years after Roy shot and killed his son, he still has a void in his life.

"Being near him, the smiles, laughter, seeing him succeed," he said.

Roy took the stand again Thursday to continue his testimony. Our camera was not allowed in the federal courtroom.

The night of April 29, 2017, Roy was a backup officer responding to complaints about a large house party and possible intoxicated teens.

After shots were fired nearby, Roy's partner yelled at an Impala driven by Jordan’s brother to stop. Body cam video showed Roy fire shots at the Impala as it was driving away. He was convicted of murder in 2018.

While Oliver admitted on the stand Thursday that he pulled the trigger and said he takes the blame, he never apologized to the family.

When he was off the stand, he made a thumbs up or down motion to his family seeking their opinion on how he did.

"If he was sorry, we wouldn't be here today,"" said Edwards family attorney Daryl Washington. "He wouldn't be on that stand still making excuses for taking Jordan's life."

Washington said this is one of the first wrongful death civil suits in the country to go to trial and test "qualified immunity." That is a provision designed to protect police officers for their actions on the job.

"Immunity should only exist for people doing proper things. It should not be a shield for an officer who takes a life of an innocent kid," he said.

An economist told the jury the estimated statistical value of Jordan's life was $7.7 million.

And while Roy will be eligible for parole in two years, it's a sum he may never be able to repay.

That's why Washington hopes this case can show why it should become mandatory for police officers to have liability coverage.

"You have a person walking around with a weapon that could take a person's life," he said. "It's like having an 18-wheeler driving around this city with no liability insurance."

Outside the courtroom, FOX 4 spoke to one witness who testified that no officers appeared to be in danger that night.

"And once they started pulling forward, the officer started shooting. Shot about five times in the car," said Reginald Mickens, who was there that night. "And one officer was at one right side of the corner, and he was on the curbside. And you know, he was out of the street. It wasn’t gonna hit him. He wasn’t in danger."

Roy is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence for the criminal conviction in this case.

He is expected to be eligible for parole in two years.