Accused Of Murder, Former Balch Springs Officer Roy Oliver Trial Testimony Ends
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Trial testimony in the murder case against former Balch Springs police officer Roy Oliver is done.
Oliver shot and killed 15-year-old Jordan Edwards in 2017. The teenager was in a car that was driving away from a party when prosecutors say the former police officer opened fire on the vehicle.
Witnesses today testified about Oliver's behavior outside of the Edward's shooting, specifically his actions during a traffic incident.
One of those rebuttal witnesses, Monique Arredondo told jurors Oliver pointed his gun in my face after walking up to her car after she rear ended his car.
Another witness, Ashley Cuevas who was in Arredondo's car said Oliver was angry, "raging" while pointing his gun at her sister.
One Assistant DA described Oliver as "hostile, quite hostile."
Earlier this week attorney's for Oliver went before Judge Brandon Birmingham with a number of motions; including requesting a continence in the case and asking that the Dallas County District Attorney's Office be recused from prosecuting the case. Both requests were denied.
Oliver was fired by the Balch Springs Police Department just days after the deadly shooting. He had said that he was in fear for his life because the car Edwards was in was moving toward him "in an aggressive manner." Video footage that showed the vehicle was actually driving away from Oliver when he fired his rifle disproved those claims.
After the hearing earlier this week lawyers for the former police officer said their client fired at the vehicle in an effort to protect his partner and that Oliver, 38, believed the car was being used as a weapon. They also said their client didn't know that there were kids in the car.
Oliver's then partner, Officer Tyler Gross, was the second person to take the stand in the trial Thursday. When asked about the moments before the shooting he testified that there was no time that evening when he feared for his life and therefor did not fire any shots at the car Edwards was in.
Gross said that after the shooting Oliver said to him "he was trying to hit you" -- making a reference to the driver of the car carrying Edwards.
After Officer Gross left the stand jurors were shown Oliver's body cam footage from the night of the shooting.
According to court filings from the Dallas County District Attorney's Office, Oliver "flipped off" the vehicle that held Edwards' body following the shooting.
The jury will not hear closing arguments until Monday at 10 a.m.
