Arlington, Tx., Police Chief Will Johnson fired a 49-year-old rookie officer, saying his poor judgment and communication failures endangered his fellow officers and led to a “catastrophic outcome,” the death of a 19-year-old burglary suspect, the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram reports. Officer Brad Miller fatally shot Christian Taylor, an Angelo State University football player, inside a car dealership last week. Johnson said he had “serious concerns” about Miller's decision to use deadly force in confronting the man inside the business. Results of a criminal investigation will be turned over to the Tarrant County district attorney's office, which could submit the case to a grand jury.
Security video shows Taylor vandalizing a vehicle in the parking lot. Police said he later crashed a Jeep Cherokee through the glass front of the showroom. Six officers responded to a 911 call. Miller failed to communicate with other officers about his intention to enter the building in pursuit of the burglar, Johnson said. Miller also failed to formulate an arrest plan with his supervisor and his fellow officers and failed to wait for other officers to assist in apprehending the burglar, Johnson said. Under police policy, an example of an arrest plan would be to designate three officers and assign them different tasks. One officer would provide cover fire if needed, while another would be assigned Taser duty to subdue the suspect in case he became noncompliant or combative. The third officer would place the suspect in handcuffs. None of those discussions took place because Miller rushed ahead without a plan, Johnson said.