Black American College Footballer Killed by Police in Dallas

A sophomore at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Christian Taylor, has been killed by a 43 year old police officer.

 

In what can be described as another case of police brutality to Black Americans, Brad Miller, a policeman in suburban Dallas has killed a college football player, Christian Taylor, after shooting him during a struggle at a car dealership store.

 

According to reports, the unarmed 19-year-old was shot and killed during the struggle and crashed a car through the front window of a car dealership.

 

Taylor, a sophomore at Angelo State University in San Angelo, has been pronounced dead as a result of the shooting by the 43-years old officer.

 

According to a statement from the Arlington Police Department, officers were responding to a burglary call about 1 a.m. Friday, August 7, 2015 in Arlington when they discovered someone had driven a vehicle through a front window of the Classic Buick GMC.

 

The statement further said police approached the suspect and a struggle ensued; at some point during the struggle, an officer shot Taylor.

 

Miller, the 49-year-old officer who shot Taylor is said to be working under the supervision of a training officer since his graduation from the police academy, thus, had no police experience before joining the Arlington police force.

 

The shooting comes amid increased scrutiny nationwide of police use of force, particularly in cases involving black suspects. 

 

Taylor's great uncle, Clyde Fuller of Grand Prairie, Texas, described Taylor as "a good kid" and saying something isn't right about the burglary claim.

 

'They say he's burglarizing the place by running up in there? Nuh-uh. Something doesn't sound right,' Fuller told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

 

It was unclear whether there was any video of the shooting.

 

Police Sgt. Paul Rodriguez said Arlington officers have not been equipped with body cameras, and police said they haven't found any dealership security video that captured it.

 

The Star-Telegram reported that court records shows that Taylor was sentenced to six months of deferred adjudication in December 2015 on a drug charge stemming from a September 2013 traffic stop in which police reported Taylor was found with 11 hydrocodone tablets not prescribed to him.

 

The case was dismissed July 14, 2015 after Taylor satisfied the requirement of his probation.

 

Angelo State officials said they were saddened to hear of the death of Taylor, a 5-foot-9, 180-pound defensive back.

 

'We're not familiar with any of the details because it happened away from here, but we'd just like people to know that we are sad and sorry for his family and friends,' university spokeswoman Becky Brackin told the San Angelo Standard-Times.