Monique Dixon, Deputy Director of Policy and Senior Counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), issued the following statement in response to the conviction of the former Balch Springs, Texas police officer for the 2017 murder of Jordan Edwards:
“With the conviction of Officer Roy Oliver, something all too rare has happened: a police officer was held criminally responsible for the murder of a Black teenager. Of course, it will take more than one guilty verdict to repair the damage done by a justice system that has resulted in countless acquittals of police for similar conduct. And no guilty verdict can bring back Jordan Edwards, whose life was cut tragically short. But, this ruling shows what happens when prosecutors and jurors apply and follow the law. Today’s news should encourage us as we continue the long pursuit of police accountability for the excessive or deadly use of force.”
