Arlington, Texas, police officer Bau Tran has been fired days after he was charged with criminally negligent homicide for shooting and killing 24-year-old O’Shae Terry during a traffic stop in 2018, according to the Associated Press.
Tran may appeal his dismissal. He has yet to enter a plea in his criminal case. While Terry’s death was overshadowed by more prominent cases last year, Tran’s firing has brought attention to the shooting.
Terry was killed on Sept. 1, after another officer pulled him over for a registration violation. After talking for a few minutes, body cam footage shows Tran grab the passenger-side window of Terry’s SUV while it rolls up before stepping onto the vehicle’s running board, pointing his gun into the truck and firing multiple shots.
Terry was pronounced dead at a hospital after he was shot, while another passenger was uninjured. Tran was placed on restriction after the shooting, then placed on leave when a grand jury indicted him earlier this month.
Lee Merritt, an attorney for Terry’s estate, called the indictment a “huge relief” for the family, though less than what they’d hoped for.
“We are certainly happy that there will be a chance for some form of justice in this case,” Merritt told the AP. “But if anyone else had done this it would have been murder.”
In a statement issued after learning of the indictment, the Arlington Police Department said the indictment was an additional factual piece of information to consider by those responsible for the administrative investigation of this incident,” according to a local CBS affiliate.
“The department is dedicated to ensuring that due process is afforded to all parties throughout the investigation,” the statement added.