HBO’s Real Sports, through Edwards’ murder, looks at the disproportionate share of unarmed black citizens killed by law enforcement in America.
The most recent episode of HBO’s Real Sports examines the tragic police shooting and death of fifteen-year-old Jordan Edwards.
Known as “Smiley,” he was an honor roll student with dreams of playing major college football. But on April 29, 2017, Edwards’ dream was cut short when he was tragically shot to death by Roy Oliver, a Balch Springs, Texas police officer, becoming part of the disproportionately large share of unarmed black citizens killed by law enforcement in America.
Jordan Edwards’ Tragic Shooting | Real Sports w/ Bryant Gumbel | HBO
Everything changed for Edwards family on April 29, 2017 when Jordan Edwards was fatally shot by a police officer attempting to stop the teenager’s vehicle. #RealSportsHBO Subscribe to the HBO YouTube Channel: https://goo.gl/JQUfqt Don’t have HBO?
Initially, police claimed Jordan, his brothers and friends had threatened police with their car just before the shooting, but body camera footage, exclusively obtained by REAL SPORTS, reveals the last moments of Jordan’s life and the truth about his death.
In late August, a Texas jury sentenced the former police officer to 15 years in prison for killing Edwards.
Few police officers face trial in shooting deaths, and even fewer are convicted. Most police-involved shooting deaths, including Philando Castile’s in Minnesota and Alton Sterling’s in Louisiana, have ended in acquittals or no charges despite national protests condemning police brutality.
“We don’t want another parent to have to go through what this family has had to deal with,” Jordan’s family attorney, Daryl Washington, said. “This case is not just about Jordan. It’s about Tamir Rice. It’s about Walter Scott. It’s about Alton Sterling. It’s about every African-American … who have been killed and who have not gotten justice.”
Tonight’s episode of Real Sports airs on HBO at 10:00 PM EST.
