Texas officer charged in death of Jonathan Price fired for 'egregious violation'

October 8, 2020October 8, 2020 WKXA

BlakeDavidTaylor/iStockBy MEREDITH DELISO and MARC NATHANSON, ABC News

(WOLFE CITY, Texas) — A police officer who faces murder charges in the shooting death of a Black man in East Texas has been fired, authorities said.

Wolfe City police officer Shaun Lucas was arrested Monday after he shot and killed 31-year-old Jonathan Price over the weekend at a gas station. Following an investigation into the fatal incident, he was fired Thursday “for his egregious violation of the City’s and police department’s policies,” Wolfe City officials said in a statement.

The city’s mayor and city council said they joined the community in “mourning Jonathan’s death.”

Lucas, 22, responded to a domestic dispute call at the gas station’s convenience store around 8:24 p.m. Saturday, according to police. Price’s family says Price was attempting to break up the dispute and didn’t threaten anyone.

According to Lucas’ arrest affidavit, bodycam footage showed that when Lucas arrived at the scene, Price greeted him and asked multiple times, “You doing good?” while extending his hand in a handshake gesture.

Lucas told investigators that he thought that Price was intoxicated and attempted to detain Price, but Price allegedly stated, “I can’t be detained.” The officer then tried to detain Price by grabbing his arm and using verbal commands, but when that was unsuccessful he then produced his Taser, warning Price to comply.

When Price walked away, the officer fired the Taser. While being tased, Price walked toward Lucas and tried to reach for the weapon, at which point the officer took out his service weapon and fired four times, according to the affidavit.

Price died later that night at the hospital.

The affidavit concluded that the officer “did then and there intentionally and knowingly cause the death of Price by discharging a firearm.”

Lucas was arrested Monday night on murder charges and held on $1 million bond.

On Tuesday, Lucas retained attorney Robert Rogers, who defended Dallas police officer Amber Guyger against similar charges last year.

In a statement on Saturday’s shooting, Rogers said, “Officer Lucas only discharged his weapon in accordance with Texas law when he was confronted with an aggressive assailant who was attempting to take his Taser.”