A federal judge has ruled that the mother of Jordan Edwards can join the wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Balch Springs and former officer, Roy Oliver, who killed her 15-year-old son with a rifle April 29.
Jordan and four others — including his two brothers — were leaving a house party as police arrived to break it up when Oliver fired into their car, striking Jordan. No one else was injured.
The teen’s father, Odell Edwards, filed suit on May 5, saying the boys in the car were unarmed and did not pose a threat .
Recent updates to the father’s court documents allege that another officer participated in an attempted cover-up of the shooting and that a sergeant who shot an unarmed black man in a car in 2013 helped train Oliver.
“We don’t know where that’s coming from,” Police Chief Jonathan Haber said Tuesday of the cover-up and training allegations. “As far as we know, that’s not correct.”
Jordan’s mother, Shaunkeyia Stephens, asked to join the suit May 9. Attorneys for Odell Edwards had asked to deny her request, saying the mother’s interests were already represented and that they didn’t want to delay the suit.
“It is undisputed that Stephens’ claims and plaintiff’s claims share common questions of law and fact,” District
Judge Barbara Lynn wrote in her Monday ruling. “If Stephens were to file a separate lawsuit arising out of Jordan’s death, the court would be inclined to consolidate the cases to avoid duplication.”
Odell Edwards had full custody of Jordan since the boy was 5. He is acting on behalf of Jordan’s estate and for his son and stepson — who were witnesses to the shooting and, according to the suit, illegally detained.
“It’s not going to delay anything,” Daryl Washington, Odell Edwards’ attorney, said of this week’s ruling. “That’s all we wanted.”
‘Looking forward to grandbabies’
“She’s a loving mother that has lost her child,” Stephens’ attorney, Reginald McKamie, said Tuesday. “They had a great relationship. Parents look to children to help them out in their old age and Jordan’s not going to be able to do that for her. It’s a tremendous loss for her. She was looking forward to grandbabies and she’s not going to have any of that.”
Edwards’ original complaint has been modified twice. The changes add detail to the claims involving Jordan’s stepbrother, Vidal Allen and brother, Kevon Edwards. Allen, the driver, remained in a patrol vehicle for two hours after the shooting. And when taken to a county sheriff’s facility, the brothers were not told why they were being placed under arrest, according to the court document.
In court filings, the city has denied that Allen and Kevon Edwards were held without explanation.