Time and time again, we are shown how messed up and flawed the justice system is.
The latest example comes from Hunt County, Texas, where former Wolfe City Police Officer Shaun Lucas was acquitted after killing an unarmed Black man.
He was charged with the killing of Jonathan Price in 2020 after he confronted Price at a convenience store after he got a call about a fight. Price was allegedly intoxicated and told Lucas he couldn’t be detained when the two got into a little scuffle. One thing led to another, and Lucas pulled out his stun gun as Price was walking away, which he says caused Price to go for it, which then caused Lucas to shoot Price 4 times.
The shooting initially cost Lucas his job because they deemed his actions not objectively reasonable, but for some reason, a jury acquitted him on all charges. Lucas would be alive today if he had just shaken his hand and spoken to him like a human.
Lucas was responding to a report of a disturbance and a fight in progress at the store in October 2020. Price, who was 31, greeted him and tried to shake the officer’s hand. Lucas thought Price was drunk and attempted to detain him, but Price told him, “I can’t be detained,” according to the affidavit.
“Shaun Lucas was acquitted in rural Hunt County Texas by an all white jury,” Merritt said. “At the time of his murder he [Price] was unarmed and did not pose a threat to any one.”
“Every law enforcement professional that reviewed the facts concluded Lucas’ use of force was unjustified,” the attorney said. “The jury’s verdict goes against the weight of the evidence and leaves black Texans exposed to state sanctioned violence.”
Following the killing, Merritt said Price had attempted to intervene in a domestic dispute at the store.
“The situation was resolved before law enforcement arrived, according to witnesses,” the attorney said. “Why this officer still felt the need to tase and shoot Jonathan is beyond comprehension.”
A big reason why he was acquitted? The jury was all white people, so it was indeed a jury of his peers.
The family of Price isn’t happy about it because this is truly an injustice.
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