Photo of O’Shae Terry, inset, taken from body camera video provided by the Arlington Police.
The former Arlington police officer who fatally shot a man attempting to drive away from a traffic stop in September 2018 was given six years deferred adjudication last week after pleading guilty to criminally negligent homicide.
More than four years ago, Bau Tran was indicted by a Tarrant County grand jury on the same charge related to the shooting death of 24-year-old O'Shae Terry.
Tran, on May 26, 2023, waived his right to a trial and pleaded guilty to a third-degree felony. According to court documents obtained by NBC 5, Tran will receive six years of deferred adjudication and pay a $600 fine and $300 in court costs.
Tran fatally shot Terry on Sept. 1, 2018, after he responded to a call for backup when another officer who made the stop smelled marijuana, according to Arlington police.
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Body camera footage released Sept. 6 showed Terry following officers' instructions -- turning off the car and rolling down the windows. Tran can be seen on video saying, "If you don't have any more inside the vehicle, y'all shouldn't be worried about it. We just have to do what we have to do. So that's basically it."
After Tran finished speaking, either Terry or the man in the passenger seat starts to roll up the passenger side window. Tran says, "Stop," steps onto the SUV's running board, and grabs the top of the partially rolled-up window, as Terry starts to drive away.
At that point, the video shows Tran firing multiple shots into the vehicle, striking Terry. Terry later died at Medical City Arlington, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner.
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In May 2019, the Arlington Police Department completed its administrative investigation into the shooting and said Tran violated city and department administrative policies before using deadly force. Tran was subsequently dismissed by the department.
