Key takeaways:
- New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced that Las Cruces Police Officer Brad Lunsford has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a Black man at a Chevron gas station last August.
- The incident occurred when a Chevron gas station attendant called 911 to report that the man, identified as Presley Eze, had left the store without paying for a beer.
- The case is now in the hands of the district attorney’s office, which will decide whether to take the case to trial. If convicted, Lunsford could face up to six years in prison.
On Tuesday, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced that Las Cruces Police Officer Brad Lunsford has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a Black man at a Chevron gas station last August.
The incident occurred on the afternoon of August 2, 2022, when a Chevron gas station attendant called 911 to report that the man, identified as Presley Eze, had left the store without paying for a beer. Lunsford was the first officer on scene and questioned Eze, but was unable to verify his identity. The officer then forcibly removed Eze from the vehicle in order to detain him.
According to the attorney general’s office, Lunsford then allegedly shot Eze. Torrez said that the use-of-force investigation concluded that the shooting was not justified. Lunsford was booked Tuesday, but officials did not detain him.
The shooting has sparked outrage in the Las Cruces community, with many calling for justice for Eze. Torrez said that the investigation was conducted with the utmost integrity and transparency, and that the charges against Lunsford were the result of a thorough review of the evidence.
The case is now in the hands of the district attorney’s office, which will decide whether to take the case to trial. If convicted, Lunsford could face up to six years in prison.
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