A district attorney in Texas says he plans to have a grand jury decide whether to formally indict a white police officer who shot and kill...
A district attorney in Texas says he plans to have a grand jury decide whether to formally indict a white police officer who shot and killed a black man as he walked away after trying to break up a fight at a gas station.
Wolfe City Police Officer Shaun Lucas, 22, was arrested Monday by the Texas Rangers on a murder charge for the shooting death of Jonathan Price.
Lucas allegedly tasered Price and shot him three times moments after the 31-year-old tried to break up a domestic violence incident inside a gas station on Saturday night.
A preliminary investigation indicated that the officer's actions 'were not objectively reasonable', according to the Texas Department of Public Safety, which oversees the Rangers.
Hunt County District Attorney Noble Walker issued a statement about the case on Tuesday, saying: 'Based on the evidence I've seen at this point we will present to the grand jury.'
While Lucas was charged with murder by the Rangers, it will be up to the grand jury to decide whether to formally indict him after reviewing all the evidence in the case, which remains under investigation.
Wolfe City Police Officer Shaun Lucas, 22, was arrested Monday by the Texas Rangers on a murder charge connected with the shooting death of Jonathan Price. Hunt County District Attorney Noble Walker on Tuesday said he plans to present the case to a grand jury, which will decide whether to issue a formal indictment against Lucas (pictured)
Authorities said Lucas tasered (pictured) and shot him three times moments after the 31-year-old black man tried to break up a domestic violence incident inside a gas station on Saturday
'Though an arrest has been made, our office has not received the case from the Texas Rangers as it remains an active and ongoing investigation,' Walker said.
'As is customary, this case will be filed with our office once the investigation is complete. Until then, the thorough work of the Texas Rangers and others will continue.
'Our office will evaluate the case and present it to the Hunt County grand jury upon completion of the investigation. Based on the ongoing status of the investigation, we will not comment on the facts of the case at this time.'
Lucas, who is now on administrative leave from his police department, was booked into Hunt County Detention Center on Monday night before being transferred to an undisclosed facility.
A judge set the officer's bond at $1million. It's unclear whether he has posted that bond as some media outlets report that he did and others say he remains in custody.
The DPS said Lucas was responding to a disturbance call on October 3 when he sought to detain Price, who 'resisted in a non-threatening posture and began walking away'.
Lucas deployed his Taser and then fired his service weapon at Price, who later died at the hospital, the agency said.
Police have not yet confirmed Price's injuries but reports claimed he was shot once in the chest and twice in the back.
The aftermath of the shooting was captured on a Facebook Live video by a bystander
Philadelphia-based civil rights lawyer Lee Merritt, who is representing Price's family, reacted to Lucas's arrest on Monday night, calling it 'the first step'.
'This man is dangerous and should not be out on bond. The family was relieved to hear of his arrest and are looking forward to his conviction,' Merritt told CBS.
Price's family members said the 31-year-old had approached a man and woman brawling inside an Exxon gas station and was immediately assaulted by the man.
Witnesses said Price tried to break up the fight inside the store, but the altercation spilled outside.
Merritt said he's been informed that when police arrived at the scene, Price raised his hands and attempted to inform the officers exactly what had happened. But instead he was tasered and shot multiple times.
'Police fired tasers at him and when his body convulsed from the electrical current, they "perceived a threat" and shot him to death,' Merritt said, adding that nobody else was harmed.
Merritt said he is working with the family to 'get justice' for Price, hailing him as a 'hometown hero'.
'Motivational speaker, trainer, professional athlete and community advocate— he was dearly loved by so many,' Merritt wrote to Facebook. 'He noticed a man assaulting a woman and he intervened.'
Philadelphia-based civil rights lawyer, Lee Merritt, who is representing Price's family, said the arrest of Lucas 'is the first step' toward justice
A former athlete who played football for Humboldt State University, Price was employed by the city in its public works department at the time of his death and also worked as a fitness trainer
A former athlete who also played football for Humboldt State University, Price was employed by the city in its public works department at the time of his death and also worked as a fitness trainer.
A witness who was in a store across the street when the fatal shots rang out recognized the victim as Price, and described him as a 'pillar of the community'.
'We all love him and think so highly of him and just the nicest guy you could ever meet,' Kyla Sanders told WFAA-TV.
Footage of the aftermath of the shooting was captured by Hunt County Theft Reports, showing scores of bystanders gathered outside the gas stations under the glare of several flashing lights.
Price's mother, Marcella Louis, said Price was her only son. She said the world has 'lost a hero' following Saturday's tragic shooting.
'They took my son from me,' she told the station through tears. 'They took my baby.'
Louis said she raced to the gas station after receiving a call that he'd been shot.
'They wouldn't let me get close to my baby,' she said. 'I just wanted to hold his hands and they wouldn't let me do that. I just wanted to crawl over there.'
A witness who was in a store across the street when the fatal shots rang out recognized the victim as Price, and described him as a 'pillar of the community'
Price's mother, Marcella Louis, said Price was her only son. She said the world has 'lost a hero' following Saturday's tragic shooting
Wolfe City, located around an hour northeast of Dallas, has a population of about 1,500 people.
Price's family and friends said he was well known in the area, mainly for his supportive and giving heart.
'Everybody loved Jonathan. Everybody,' said his sister, April Louis. 'Black, white, Mexican, it doesn't matter. He loved everybody. Everybody loved him.'
Price's childhood friend Will Middlebrooks, a former professional baseball player, wrote on social media that Price was 'singled out' while trying to break up the gas station fight.
Middlebrooks said Price had his hands in the air when an officer shot him.
'See this face? This is the face of one of my childhood friends. The face of my first ever favorite teammate,' Middlebrooks wrote alongside pictures of Price in a Facebook post that was also shared on Twitter.
'The face of a good man. But unfortunately it's the face of a man whose life was taken away from him last night with his hands in the air, while a small town East Texas cop shot him once in the chest and then twice in the back.
'Why? Bc he was trying to break up a fight at a gas station... for some reason he was singled out. I'll let you do the math.'
Middlebrooks added: 'There's no excuses this time...'he was a criminal'... Nope, not this time. 'He resisted arrest, just comply with the cops.' Nope that one doesn't work this time either. This was purely an act of racism. Period. So, for all you that think this is all bullsh**, you need to check yourself.'
The Exxon gas station where the incident occurred Saturday is shown in the above image
In a video posted on Facebook, Middlebrooks called for calm in Wolfe City, saying Price would not want his hometown 'torn to pieces,' a reference to the unrest spurred by the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
In June, Price posted on Facebook that he had never had a negative encounter with police.
'There were times I should have been detained for speeding, outstanding citations, outdated registration, dozing off at a red light before making it to my garage downtown Dallas after a lonnng night out,' Price said. 'I've passed a sobriety test after leaving a bar in Wylie, Texas by 2 white cops and still let me drive to where I was headed, and by the way they consider Wylie, Texas to be VERY racist. I've never got that kind of ENERGY from the po-po.'
'Not saying black lives don't matter, but don't forget about your own, or your experiences through growth / 'waking up,' Price said.
The family held a candlelight vigil for Price on Monday evening.
Middlebrooks has set up a GoFundMe page for the family, to help with funeral and legal costs.
The Wolfe City Police Department has returned DailyMail.com's requests for comment.
In June, Price posted on Facebook that he had never had a negative encounter with police
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