Bau Tran Guilty Plea in O’Shae Terry Traffic-Stop Shooting

January 5, 2020

Former Arlington Police Department officer Bau Tran pleaded guilty to felony criminally negligent homicide in connection with the September 1, 2018 shooting death of 24-year-old O’Shae Terry during a traffic stop in Arlington, Texas. A judge sentenced Tran to six years of deferred adjudication community supervision and a $600 fine, meaning published reports said he would not serve prison time under the plea disposition.

This story is based on multiple sources, including local news reporting, court reporting, and a civil-rights case summary. Those sources are linked below and should be read directly for full context.

Reported Incident

According to court and news reports, another Arlington officer initially stopped Terry’s SUV for an expired registration tag on September 1, 2018. Terry had a passenger, Terrence Harmon, in the vehicle. Reports state that the first officer said she smelled marijuana and planned to search the SUV. Tran arrived as a backup officer and stood near the passenger side of the vehicle.

Reports describe Terry rolling up the windows and starting to drive away. According to Fox 4, Tran grabbed the passenger-side window, held onto the side of the SUV, and fired several shots, killing Terry. KERA reported that Tran stuck his gun through Terry’s passenger-side window and fired multiple times as Terry tried to drive away with his passenger.

Allegations

In the federal civil lawsuit brought by Terry’s mother and Harmon, the plaintiffs alleged that Tran used excessive force and violated constitutional rights. The MacArthur Justice Center’s case summary states that Tran was standing by the passenger side of the vehicle, grabbed onto the passenger-side window, climbed onto the running board, and shot Terry shortly after the vehicle began to pull away.

The lawsuit also alleged municipal liability against the City of Arlington. Those civil allegations were litigated separately from the criminal case and were not the same as a criminal conviction.

Reports and Video Descriptions

CBS Texas reported that police video showed Tran grabbing onto the passenger-side window while the SUV moved away, followed by gunshots being heard. The Texas Observer, describing body-camera footage, reported that the officer climbed onto the running board as Terry started the ignition and rolled up the windows, then reached into the passenger window, pulled his arm back to grab his pistol, and fired several rounds.

Charges

On May 1, 2019, CBS Texas reported that a Tarrant County grand jury indicted Arlington Police Officer Bau Tran on a charge of criminally negligent homicide for the September 1, 2018 shooting death of O’Shae Terry.

Conviction / Court Outcome

In 2023, Fox 4 reported that Tran pleaded guilty to felony criminally negligent homicide. The reported sentence was six years of deferred adjudication and a $600 fine. KERA reported that, under the deferred-adjudication disposition, Tran would serve six years of probation and would have no conviction placed on his record if he successfully completed the term.

Department Action and Official Statements

After the indictment, CBS Texas reported that the Arlington Police Department said the grand jury’s decision would be treated as an additional factual piece of information for the department’s administrative investigation. CBS Texas later reported that Arlington Police said Tran was fired after the department completed its administrative investigation, sustained violations of city and department administrative policies, and dismissed him based on actions preceding his use of deadly force.

Lawsuits

Terry’s mother, Sherley Woods, and passenger Terrence Harmon sued Tran and the City of Arlington. KERA reported that the case was dismissed in federal district court and in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The MacArthur Justice Center, which was involved in the appeal, also states that the Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court’s grant of qualified immunity.

Uncorroborated Claims

This story does not rely on uncorroborated claims. Details above are attributed to published reports, court summaries, or statements reported by news outlets. Any disputed interpretation of the shooting, including whether the force was legally justified or morally justified, should be evaluated by reading the linked sources directly.

Sources