Father of teen killed by ex-Balch Springs cop tells jury he has nightmares of his son screaming
BALCH SPRINGS, Texas - The father of a teenager shot and killed by former Balch Springs police officer Roy Oliver took the stand on Wednesday in the civil trial against the officer.
Odell Edwards told the jury that he has nightmares where he hears his son, Jordan, screaming.
Jordan Edwards
Edwards also told the story about hearing his 15-year-old son's death in the early morning hours from the Balch Springs police chief.
His then-four-year-old daughter grieved her favorite brother by drawing a picture of him with a dot on his forehead. She said it was a gun shot wound.
Edwards then told the jury that Roy Oliver, who is serving a 15-year prison sentence for murdering his son, has never apologized in the nearly 6 years since.
Roy Oliver
Witness Reginald Mickens also took the stand Wednesday.
He told the jury he was going to pick up pizza for his wife and grandkids on the night of April 29, 2017.
Oliver opened fire on the car after officers were called to break up a party.
His attorney argued Oliver thought the car was going to hit the officer who was yelling for the car to stop.
"Once they started pulling forward the officer started shooting. He shot him like 5 times," he told FOX 4 outside the courthouse. "He was out of the street, the car wasn't going to hit him. He was not in danger."
From his perspective, Mickens believes the shots former Balch Springs police officer Roy Oliver fired could have killed more people in addition to 15-year-old Jordan Edwards.
"There were kids up and down Shepherd Lane. Anybody could have been hit. My in-laws stay on the next street, second house to the corner. It could have hit them," Mickens said.
Maxwell Everette was in the car with Edwards, the group left the house party as police showed up to investigate reports of intoxicated teenagers.
"It could have been me or my brother," said Everette. "He had more potential than probably all of us."
Basketball coach testifies about Jordan Edwards' skills during former Balch Springs officer's trial
FOX 4’s camera was not allowed in the federal courtroom as former Mesquite High School Football Coach Jeff Fleener took the stand, but he spoke to us later outside.
The Edwards family pastor Martin Lee Darsey also took the stand Wednesday.
He said Jordan was part of the youth choir.
"He held a note pretty good," Darsey told FOX 4. "The potential that was robbed with the shooting, is just unfathomable."
Oliver himself took the stand Wednesday afternoon.
He will return Thursday morning to continue his testimony.