In Santa Fe, New Mexico, former police officer Brad Lunsford was convicted of voluntary manslaughter for fatally shooting Presley Eze during a 2022 incident at a gas station. The confrontation began when a station attendant called 911 to report that Eze had stolen beer. During the struggle, Eze allegedly placed his hand on an officer’s stun gun, prompting Lunsford to draw his weapon and fire at point-blank range. Prosecutors claimed the shot hit Eze in the back of his head, fueling scrutiny over the use of deadly force.
Lunsford, who is white, had pleaded not guilty, yet a jury returned a guilty verdict. This case has drawn national attention amid debates over the treatment of Black individuals by police, and it is often compared to the May 2020 killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Lunsford’s attorney, Jose Coronado, expressed his discontent with the outcome, stating, “While I respect the jury’s verdict, I am extremely disappointed in it. I don’t believe the state met its burden.”
Attorney General Raúl Torrez condemned the shooting in a statement, saying, “Today’s verdict reaffirms a fundamental principle: no one is above the law — not even those sworn to uphold it. Officer Lunsford’s actions were not just a tragic lapse in judgment; they were an egregious abuse of power that cost Presley Eze his life.” Lunsford now faces a charge enhanced by a firearms provision that could result in up to nine years in prison.
Key evidence included body camera footage capturing the moment officers pulled Eze from his vehicle and the ensuing struggle. Criminal justice expert Philip Stinson from Bowling Green State University highlighted the difficulty in securing convictions in such cases. He remarked, “It is incredibly difficult for a prosecutor to obtain a conviction in a jury trial in one of these cases, and that’s because jurors are very reluctant to second guess the split-second, often life-or-death decisions of an on-duty officer in a potentially violent street encounter.” Stinson added that convictions are often for lesser charges, illustrating the complex nature of these cases.
Link: NBCNews