“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.”
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Taylor was a Mansfield Summit High graduate and was about to begin his sophomore year at Angelo State University.
Police had said that Mr. Taylor was shot about 1 a.m. Friday as he tried to flee from officers who had been dispatched to the Arlington dealership after reports of a suspected burglary.
But Miller put himself and the other officers in a situation with “undue risk” by not going into the showroom with a cover officer or communicating his intentions, Johnson said.
Police said that Officer Miller, from Dallas, graduated from a police academy in March and had never fired his weapon before.
“We again ask that citizens obey the commands of police officers in order to prevent these tragedies from occurring in the future”, the association said.
The Arlington Municipal Patrolman’s Association issued a following statement supporting Officer Miller and affirming his right to be judged “fairly and completely on facts”.
Inside the showroom, Miller ordered Taylor to get to the ground.
“This is a extraordinarily hard case”, Johnson said.
An attorney for Miller did not have an immediate comment on Johnson’s announcement. “These considerations nevertheless are greatest addressed via the felony investigation course of”, stated Johnson. Wiggins, approached Taylor inside the dealership in an attempt to make an arrest, leading Miller to fire his weapon.
Chief Johnson shared details of what transpired in the wee hours on August 7 at the Classic Buick GMC dealership, and how Taylor eventually lost his life as reported by the Dallas Morning News. Adrian Taylor, Christian’s father said the trained officers could have used other ways to subdue an unarmed man.
Meanwhile, about 60 people gathered outside the Arlington police headquarters Tuesday night to demand that Miller face criminal charges.
Wiggins told investigators he heard a “pop”. As a probationary employee, Miller can not appeal his firing.
Dominique Alexander, Next Generation president, publicly requested that the U.S. Department of Justice become involved in the investigation now that the FBI has opted out.
Christian Taylor broke into a auto dealership on Friday, prompting police to respond.
On Tuesday, Taylor told The Post that he still had no answers as to why his son had spent his last moments smashing cars and store windows at an Arlington vehicle dealership. It also cited Johnson’s acknowledgement that Taylor refused to surrender and behaved in a manner that could be considered as threatening when Miller shot him. The Tarrant County medical examiner lists Taylor’s cause of death as gunshot wounds to the neck, chest and abdomen.
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“We need transparency”, Alexander said.
