Police in Arlington, Texas, made the right call in promptly inviting the FBI to review a fatal shooting by an officer inside a car dealership.

The death of Christian Taylor, 19, has all the ingredients to stoke an emotional cauldron. Taylor, a black football player at Angelo State University, recently became more committed to his church and his spiritual side, his loved ones say. Police said he had no weapon when he was fatally shot.

The officer, Brad Miller, is a 49-year-old white rookie in the field-training stage of his career.

Adding to the mystery is video evidence: As recorded by a dealership security camera, Taylor stomped out the windshield of a new car parked on the lot, then climbed into the front seat. A short time later he drove his own SUV through the dealership’s glass windows to enter the showroom.

Officers responding to a 911 call confronted him inside the dealership. It was there that Miller fired his pistol, for the first time in the line of duty.

Were Miller’s actions consistent with legally justifiable use of deadly force and his department’s training? Did the officer have better options to firing his gun after confronting Taylor?

Arlington Police Chief Will Johnson promised a “vigorous, thorough and transparent” look into what happened inside the car dealership. It was in this context that he invited the outside scrutiny of the FBI. The community should welcome the move.

The fatal shooting in Arlington occurred two days shy of the one-year anniversary of Michael Brown’s shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, helping to draw attention to the wide gulf between law enforcement and black communities nationwide.

That mistrust only grows when police brass circles the wagons. Chief Johnson has made a good start as Arlington finds itself under the spotlight in the national debate over police tactics.