A former Arlington Police Officer will not serve jail time after pleading guilty to the shooting death of a 24-year-old man who tried to drive away during a routine traffic stop.
In a highly contentious legal battle, Bau Tran avoided incarceration after entering a guilty plea for the charge of criminally negligent homicide in the 2018 shooting death of 24-year-old O’Shae Terry, reported FOX 4.
The presiding judge handed down a sentence of six years deferred adjudication, sparing Tran from serving any jail time.
Additionally, Tran was ordered to pay a fine of $600 and $300 in court costs.
Deferred adjudication is usually offered to first-time offenders, and it is typically a better deal than regular community supervision because if a person finishes the term successfully, he does not have a conviction on his record.
The incident unfolded on September 1, 2018, when Terry was pulled over by an officer because of a temporary tag, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Tran responded to assist that officer, who informed him that she had detected the smell of marijuana and intended to search the vehicle.
When the other officer returned to her vehicle, Terry tried to flee. Tran, who was standing on the passenger side of the car, grabbed onto the window and ordered Terry to stop. Tran continued hanging onto the moving vehicle, then fired four shots inside, killing Terry.
Following an internal investigation, Tran was dismissed from his position in 2019.
The department found that his actions violated city and department policies, leading to his termination.
Nearby Dallas has also dismissed its fair share of officers this year, as reported by The Dallas Express.
The Dallas Police Department presently has approximately 3,100 officers, but it needs to add another 400-500, according to Mike Mata, president of the Dallas Police Association.
The shortfall has a direct effect on the amount of violent crime taking place in the City, according to Executive Assistant Chief David Pughes, who has said that “there is a direct correlation between the number of officers you have and the ability to control violent crime,” as reported by NBC DFW.
Dallas sees 57,896 crimes annually, according to NeighborhoodScout, with a crime rate of 44.93 per 1,000 residents. On a spectrum ranging from “safest” to “most dangerous,” downtown Dallas is considered “most dangerous,” according to NeighborhoodScout.
