Texas Police Officer Fired, Charged With Murder Over Fatal Shooting Of Black Man



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Former Wolfe City Police Officer Shaun Lucas, shown here in a booking photo provided by the Hunt County, Texas Sheriff’s Office, has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a Black man at a convenience store over the weekend.

Hunt County, Texas Sheriff’s Office/AP




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Hunt County, Texas Sheriff’s Office/AP


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Texas Police Officer Arrested, Charged With Murder After Fatally Shooting Black Man

According to an affidavit prepared by Texas Ranger Laura Simmons, Lucas arrived on the scene at about 8:30 p.m. on Saturday evening, where he was «greeted» by Price. The document adds that Price asked the officer several times «you doing good» while also «extending his hand in a handshake gesture.»

Lucas then attempted to detain him, according to the affidavit. He later told the Ranger that he thought Price was intoxicated.

«I can’t be detained,» Price stated, according to the document.

After grabbing Price’s arm and issuing verbal commands, the officer warned Price that he would used his service stun gun if the Black man did not comply.

The document says Price did not comply and began to walk away, prompting Lucas to «deploy the taser which was not fully effective.»

As he was being tased, Price reportedly walked back towards Lucas and appeared to reach for the stun gun. That’s when Lucas discharged his service weapon, striking Price four times, the document states.

He was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

The affidavit states the encounter was captured by officer-worn body camera. That video has not been released to the public.

Lucas is currently being held at the Collin County jail, according to The Dallas Morning News.

The paper also notes that a lawyer for Lucas says Price was the aggressor and that his client only fired when Price tried to «take his Taser.»

«Mr. Price resisted the effects of the Taser and attempted to take it away from Officer Lucas,» attorney Robert Rogers said, according to the paper. «Officer Lucas only discharged his weapon in accordance with Texas law when he was confronted with an aggressive assailant who was attempting to take his Taser.»

But Lee Merritt, a lawyer for Price’s family, told The Associated Press that witnesses said Price was «too far away to even be considered as reaching for the» Taser. He added that after Price was hit with the stun gun, «muscle movements at that point were involuntary, so he wasn’t reaching for anything consciously.»

As member station KETR reported, Lucas was arrested and charged on Oct. 5, with a bail set at $1 million. Earlier in the week, the station reported that Price’s family said he had tried to break up an altercation between another man and a woman at a Kwik Check convenience store.

The Texas Department of Public Safety said in a statement on Monday that Lucas’ actions «were not objectionably reasonable.»

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