Football Team Remembers Teen Fatally Shot by Police

In Mesquite, TX, a suburb of Dallas, a high school football team recently took the field for the season opener. It wasn’t just any night, though, because they were missing an important member of the team: 15-year-old Jordan Edwards, who was fatally shot by a police officer in April. 

With Jordan’s initials pasted onto every team member’s helmet and hanging on the wall, Jordan’s missing presence was like an elephant in the room. The story of Jordan’s death is as INFURIATING as it is TRAGIC, and no one is more aware of that than the family members, friends and teammates who survive him!

Jordan and his brothers, 17-year-old twins Kevon and Vidal, went to a house party one Saturday in April. Officers arrived at the party for a noise complaint, heard gunshots from the next block, and decided to SHOOT INTO THE CAR full of young black teenagers that was driving away from the house. Jordan was the only fatality. 

“Kids go to parties all the time and come home,” says Jordan’s mother, Charmaine. “Not mine.” The reason? UNCHECKED POLICE VIOLENCE.

The officer who shot Jordan was fired, which is a good first step. He was then indicted for murder. This is theoretically a GREAT step, but at this point it’s blindingly obvious that indictments do not lead to convictions. A Dallas county police officer has not been convicted of murder since 1973 — FORTY-FOUR YEARS ago. No one is holding their breath to see Jordan’s murderer put away.

The tragedy of Jordan’s death has rippled outward across the entire community. Jordan’s siblings and parents grieve the son who was taken too soon. His teammates wear his initials on their helmets so that he can, in some way, participate in the season opener with them. His classmates—teenagers who should be enjoying life—avoid parties, scared to end up like Jordan, who was a model kid.

Even people who don’t know Jordan are, understandably, deeply affected by this story. This was an INNOCENT CHILD. Like any freshman in high school, he went to a party after doing his chores! He DID NOT deserve to die that day. He was killed by the people sworn to protect and serve him. Sadly, he’s the latest in a long line of fellow victims.