Report Says Jonathan Price Tried To Shake Police Officer’s Hand Before Fatal Shooting
More details are coming out about what led to former police officer Shaun Lucas fatally shooting an unarmed Jonathan Price at a gas station in Wolfe City, Texas. An affidavit reveals that Price attempted to shake the officer’s hand when he arrived at the scene.
On October 3, Price reportedly came across a domestic violence situation between a man and a woman at a Kwik Chek gas station. The dispute began inside the adjacent convenience store area but spilled outside. The man started to assault Price when police arrived.
According to Dallas News, an affidavit written by a Texas Ranger said when the 22-year-old officer arrived at the scene, Price approached Lucas, offered a handshake and asked several times, “You doing good?” Additionally, the 31-year-old apologized for broken glass on the ground.
Lucas claimed he thought Price was intoxicated, tried to detain him and Price said, “I can’t be detained,” according to the affidavit.
Lucas tried to grab Price’s arm, Price started walking away and the officer used the Taser but it wasn’t “fully effective.”
In the affidavit, Lucas accuses Price of trying to grab the end of the officer’s stun gun. The officer then shot him four times. He died soon at a nearby hospital.
The body camera footage of the fatal police shooting has not been released.
The Texas Rangers are investigating the case at the request of the Wolfe City police department. Still, a preliminary investigation from the Texas Rangers shows that Lucas’ actions “were not objectionably reasonable,” which warranted a murder charge. Lucas’ bail is set at $1 million.
In an ominous June 15 Facebook post, Price wrote that when it came to racist encounters with law enforcement, he “never got that kind of energy” from police. Price worked for the city public works department and was also a fitness trainer. He was called by people who knew him as a “pillar of the community.”
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