Texas police chief fires officer who shot and killed unarmed teen

An Arlington, Texas, police officer who shot and killed an unarmed college football player has been fired for “exercising poor judgment,” the city’s police chief said Tuesday.

Officer Brad Miller lost his job because of the August 7 incident at a car dealership in Arlington, Police Chief Will Johnson told reporters.

“Based on a preponderance of evidence available to me and the facts revealed by the investigative team, I have decided to terminate Officer Miller’s employment with the Arlington Police Department for exercising poor judgment,” Johnson said.

Video shows Texas student at car dealership before officer fatally shot him.

The officer was in the last stages of his field training when he shot Christian Taylor, 19, multiple times at a car dealership.

A security company called 911 after Taylor allegedly drove his SUV through the front window of the dealership showroom. When officers arrived, Taylor was inside. Authorities have said that he did not comply with initial calls to surrender.

Miller entered the building alone. He reportedly told investigators he feared that he would be overpowered by Taylor, who was moving quickly toward him while cursing. Miller was later joined inside the building by his training officer, a 19-year veteran. Miller fired four times and the other officer used a Taser.

There was no physical contact between Taylor and the officers.

“This unilateral decision to enter the building and to continue the pursuit deeper into the building upon making contact with Mr. Taylor — along with failing to communicate with fellow officers or develop an arrest plan — created an environment of cascading consequences that produced an unrecoverable outcome,” Johnson said about Miller’s decision.

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