Jordan Edwards: 15 years old 

Favorite song: Trap Queen by Fetty Wap

Favorite color: Red

Jordan Edwards was a 15-year-old high-school freshman from Balch Springs, Texas. On April 29, 2017, he was with his brother and friends at a house-party. As the party started to get rowdy, Jordan and his group decided to leave. Police showed up, responding to a neighbor’s call worried about underage drinking and noise disturbance. The officers found no drugs or alcohol in the home but heard gunshots (which were later determined to have occurred over a block away) and ran outside as the car Jordan was in started driving away. One officer attempted to prevent their car from leaving by recklessly firing at the car with a rifle multiple times. 

Jordan was shot in the back of the head and killed. His brother, who was also in the car, was pulled out of the vehicle, handcuffed, and spent the evening in jail, finding out about his brother’s death the morning after. Police later said they took Jordan’s brother and kept him at the jail in order to question him as a witness, though none of the other teens in the car were taken. 

The original police report released alleged that the vehicle carrying Jordan had backed up aggressively toward the officers, implying the officers were in imminent danger or fear of bodily harm. The body cam video contradicted that police report, clearly showing the vehicle was pulling away from the officers. The officer who shot at the car later claimed during trial that he saw the car move towards his partner and thought his life was in danger. His partner disputed that account, testifying that he did not fear for his life and did not feel the need to fire his weapon. 

On May 5, 2017, the officer was fired from the department and arrested. A year later, on August 29, 2018, the officer was convicted of murder and sentenced to 15 years in prison. A jury awarded Jordan’s family a $21.6 million dollar settlement in 2023.