Texas rookie officer fired after fatal shooting of college football player

Arlington police have fired Officer Brad Miller, the rookie who fatally shot 19‑year‑old Christian Taylor during an attempted burglary call at a local car dealership. The department said Miller used “inappropriate judgment,” a finding that followed an internal review and reporting first detailed by The New York Times.

Chief: Rookie Officer Created “Cascading Consequences”

Arlington Police Chief Will D. Johnson said Miller, 49, made several critical mistakes that escalated the encounter. Miller joined the department last fall and remained in field training when the shooting occurred early Friday morning.

According to Johnson, Miller:

• Entered the dealership alone
• Separated from his more experienced training officer
• Failed to coordinate with other responding officers
• Approached Taylor without a clear arrest plan

Johnson said these actions “created an environment of cascading consequences” that contributed to Taylor’s death.

Video Shows Taylor Crashing Car Into Dealership

Taylor, a football player at Angelo State University, was shot around 1 a.m. after officers responded to a report of an attempted burglary at Classic Buick GMC.

Video released by officials shows Taylor:

• Crashing his vehicle into the dealership gate
• Entering the building while appearing intoxicated
• Wandering through the showroom
• Damaging a car inside
• Driving his vehicle through the dealership office before officers entered

Officers moved into the office moments after the crash. Taylor was shot shortly afterward.

Training Officer Tried Taser Before Gunfire

During a news conference, Johnson said Miller acted without a coordinated plan when he confronted Taylor. Other officers were present, including Miller’s training officer, who attempted to use a Taser before Miller fired his weapon.

“Based on a preponderance of evidence available to me and facts revealed by the investigative team,” Johnson said, “I have decided to terminate Officer Miller’s employment with the Arlington Police Department for exercising poor judgment.”

The New York Times reported that Miller was still in training and had not yet completed the department’s required field‑readiness evaluations.