Former Las Cruces police officer Brad Lunsford was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Black man Presley Eze during a confrontation at a New Mexico gas station. The incident took place in 2022, nearly five years after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Lunsford, who is white, pleaded not guilty and his lawyer plans to challenge the verdict.
The shooting occurred after police responded to a call about Eze allegedly stealing beer. Lunsford shot Eze at point-blank range after a scuffle where Eze reportedly grabbed another officer’s stun gun. The Attorney General criticized Lunsford’s use of deadly force, noting that he shot Eze in the back of the head.
The charge of voluntary manslaughter with a firearms enhancement could result in up to nine years in prison for Lunsford. The difficulty of obtaining convictions in cases involving on-duty police officers was highlighted, with statistics showing that few convictions are achieved in such cases.
Attorney General Torrez described Eze’s death as a tragedy resulting from poor police tactics and an unjustifiable use of force. The trial included body camera footage of the confrontation, which showed the struggle leading to the fatal shooting.
Overall, Lunsford’s guilty verdict is seen as a step towards holding law enforcement accountable for their actions, particularly in cases involving the use of deadly force against individuals resisting arrest for minor offenses.
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