The Standard’s news roundup gives you a quick hit of interesting, sometimes irreverent, and breaking news stories from all over the state.
The family lawyer of the 15-year-old boy shot and killed in Balch Springs on Saturday says it’s up to police to take responsibility for what happened.
A police officer shot into the passenger side of a car, killing Jordan Edwards. Attorney Lee Merritt says Edwards had just left a party.
“Our community is fed up with the same tired excuses once again offered by Balch Springs police department yesterday, that this was somehow the fault of the victims,” Merritt said. “Teenage kids, with no criminal records with no motive.”
Balch Springs police chief Jonathon Haber says officers were responding to a call of drunken teenagers in the area. Haber said after reviewing body cam footage, the car’s teenage driver was not driving aggressively, as he has said earlier.
Haber also said the vehicle was driving away from police, not toward them when the officer fired. The medical examiner’s office ruled the death a homicide.
Four tornadoes wreaked havoc on East Texas over the weekend. In all, four people died and 50 were taken to hospitals.
Rescue workers have spent time searching homes and residents are picking through the debris. KERA’s Stella Chavez reports on the storm’s four-legged survivors:
Soon after the tornadoes struck, Bonnie Hill got a call from an animal rescue group. Hill is the founder of Spay Neuter Network in Crandall between Dallas and Canton. She and her team — including a vet – brought their mobile unit to a shopping center parking lot in Canton.
Folks brought by their pets – most had scratches and other minor injuries. One Labrador had a puncture wound on the face. She was treated and sent home with the owner.
The tornadoes cut a wide and long swath of destruction, across fields where livestock graze.
“While our vet was waiting for us, there was a cow that came in, I guess, with two broken legs that went right to a large animal clinic to be fixed,” Hill said.
Because cows can’t survive with broken legs, she said it was likely euthanized. A number of dogs let loose by the storm were reunited with their owners.
Hill said animals, like humans, need immediate attention after a storm.
“Obviously 911’s responsibility and first responder rescues is to find people. I mean that’s their number one goal,” she said. “And so we’re here just in case that there are owners or people who are out looking can find dogs that we can help them because, I mean, we know that there are animals out there who are lost and need help.”
The Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team is now overseeing vet duties for the area and has set up shop at a local middle school.
