A Texas police officer was fired Tuesday after killing an unarmed college football player, Christian Taylor, during a suspected burglary Friday morning, according to the Associated Press. The city's police chief, Will Johnson, made the decision, stating that the officer fired caused a confrontation that not only put him in danger, but other officers as well.
The officer, Brad Miller, is facing possible criminal charges as officials complete a thorough investigation, according to the AP.
The incident leading to Miller's termination was the Aug. 7 shooting at an Arlington car dealership. Officers were called to the scene to investigate a suspected robbery when they came upon the suspect, Christian Taylor, who had crashed a car through the dealership windows. Shots were later fired and Taylor was killed on the scene, according to the Guardian.
Police Chief Will Johnson gave this statement upon terminating Brad Miller: "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," he said, according to CNN.
At the time of the shooting, Miller was still a trainee completing his final stages of field training, according to CNN.
Miller entered the scene alone and pursued Taylor without backup. He then fired four shots while another officer fired his Taser, according to the Guardian.
Later in his statement, Johnson said that this incident on Friday morning was "a tragic case. Our community is hurting, a family is hurting, our department is hurting, and indeed our nation is hurting," according to the Guardian.
