Former Las Cruces police Officer Brad Lunsford was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Presley Eze, a Black man, during a 2022 confrontation at a New Mexico gas station. The verdict has been connected to cases of systemic brutality against Black individuals by law enforcement, following the death of George Floyd in 2020. Lunsford, who is white, maintains his innocence and his attorney plans to challenge the verdict in court.
Prosecutors argued that Lunsford shot Eze at point-blank range after a scuffle broke out when police responded to a 911 call reporting a theft. The Attorney General stated that Lunsford’s use of deadly force was unreasonable and resulted in Eze’s death. The charge of voluntary manslaughter carries a potential sentence of up to nine years in prison.
Fatal shootings by on-duty police officers are typically deemed legally justified, making it challenging for prosecutors to secure convictions in such cases. Data compiled over the past 20 years shows that only 66 out of 205 officers arrested for homicide or manslaughter have been convicted, often for lesser offenses. Despite this, the verdict in Lunsford’s case was seen as a reaffirmation that law enforcement officers are not above the law.
Attorney General Raúl Torrez described the incident as a tragic result of poor police tactics and an unjustified use of force for a minor crime. The conviction serves as a reminder that accountability is necessary in cases involving excessive use of force by law enforcement officers.
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