Former Las Cruces police officer Brad Lunsford was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a Black man named Presley Eze at a New Mexico gas station. Prosecutors tied the case to a pattern of brutality against Black people by law enforcement, following the killing of George Floyd in 2020. Lunsford, who is white, claimed not guilty and his attorney plans to challenge the verdict.
The shooting occurred after police responded to a call reporting Eze for stealing beer. Lunsford shot Eze at close range in a scuffle, resulting in his death. The use of deadly force was deemed unreasonable and an abuse of power by Attorney General Raúl Torrez. Lunsford now faces up to nine years in prison for voluntary manslaughter with a firearms enhancement.
Fatal shootings by on-duty officers are often considered legally justified, making convictions difficult to obtain. Only 66 out of 205 officers arrested for homicide or manslaughter over the past 20 years have been convicted. In this case, the criminal charge against Lunsford was pursued due to poor police tactics leading to unnecessary use of force.
Overall, this case highlights ongoing issues of police brutality and accountability, particularly in cases involving Black individuals. The guilty verdict against Lunsford signals a rare instance of accountability for a law enforcement officer in a fatal shooting, shining a light on the challenges of prosecuting such cases and the reluctance of jurors to question officers’ split-second decisions in violent encounters.
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