DALLAS--A white former Texas policeman was jailed on Wednesday for 15 years over the deadly shooting of an unarmed black teenager in a Dallas suburb last year that fueled a national debate over possible racial bias in U.S. policing.
The same jury that convicted Roy Oliver, 38, of murder on Tuesday in the death of Jordan Edwards, 15, deliberated for several hours before deciding his prison sentence. Oliver's conviction was a rare instance in which an officer was found guilty of murdering an unarmed person.
"This case is greater than Jordan," said Daryl Washington, a lawyer for the Edwards' family. "We just hope there are going to be some changes."
In emotional testimony during the penalty phase of the trial on Wednesday, Oliver's mother asked the jury to sentence her son to the minimum five years, in large part because of the needs of his young son who has autism. "That's my prayer because he could still have such an impact on that child's life," Linda Oliver told the jury.
Oliver's lawyer, Bob Gill, said they would appeal against the sentence, a Texas ABC affiliate reported.
Two police officers who worked with Oliver and a neighbour were among those testifying as character witnesses. Prosecution witnesses on Tuesday included Edwards' father, Odell Edwards, who said the last thing he told his son was that he loved him.
