Texas judge rejects request to move ex-officer trial

DALLAS – A judge has denied a request to move the trial of a white former suburban Dallas police officer who’s charged with murder in the 2017 shooting of a black teenager.

Roy Oliver was working as a Balch Springs officer when he fired into a moving vehicle holding five black teenagers, killing 15-year-old Jordan Edwards. Police say video shows the vehicle was driving away. In court filings, Oliver has said he and his partner were in fear for their lives when the vehicle sped past them.

A judge on Tuesday rejected a request to move Oliver’s trial. Defence attorneys argued Oliver could not receive an impartial and fair trial in Dallas County. They said there’s been extensive media coverage of the case and what they called “considerable prejudicial discussion” in the community.