Over a year has elapsed since the death of a Black man at a New Mexico petrol station, instigated by an horrendous police incident. Now, the state’s attorney general has announced criminal charges against a police officer who was present at the encounter, denouncing the officer’s actions as an “unjustifiable use of force,” manifesting another instance of ill-judged policing.
Brad Lunsford, an officer in Las Cruces, surrendered himself to the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office on October 3, as confirmed by his legal representative, Luis Robles. Lunsford has been charged with voluntary manslaughter and an additional firearm enhancement count, and has been released on his own recognizance. The charges were announced by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez on the same day.
Back in August of the preceding year, reports suggest that Lunsford, of White ethnicity, shot Presley Eze, a Black man, near a Chevron gas station. The incident transpired after a store employee telephoned 911, claiming Eze had left the store without paying for a beer. The attorney general’s office provided these details.
Upon confirming the complaint, Lunsford, the initial officer on the scene, confronted Eze and when he failed to establish his identity, Lunsford and another officer forcibly removed Eze from his vehicle. A struggle then ensued, with Eze landing on the ground, on top of one of the officers.
Despite the other officer having been at the scene at the time of the shooting, they have yet to face charges, as confirmed by the arrest warrant documents.
In the heat of an ongoing struggle, Eze reached for the second officer’s taser, however, it was not used against either officer. In reaction, Lunsford drew his service gun and shot Eze in the back of his head at point-blank range.
It’s worth noting that officers had seized a folded pocket knife from Eze before the dispute escalated into physicality. He was unarmed when he was shot.
Lunsford continued his active duty until his recent charges, leading to his subsequent administrative leave with pay.
The distressing encounter happened to be recorded both on police body camera video and witness cell phone footage. Such footage sheds light once more on the nationwide problem of excessive police force resulting in fatal violence against Black Americans.
Astonishingly, since 2005, 185 law enforcement officers have been apprehended for on-duty shootings that culminated in murder or manslaughter. However, only 59 have been convicted, reminding us of the tragic persistence of police misconduct.
In the immediate aftermath, Torrez reminded the audience during a news conference that the man killed was “somebody’s son, somebody’s brother, and somebody’s father.” He emphasized that it’s crucial not to reduce Eze’s life to these few seconds captured on video.
Presley Eze, aged 37, represented more than this single tragic encounter. He was the eldest son of Nigerian immigrants, settling in West Hartford, Connecticut. Eze also happened to be a father to a 3-year-old son, a nursing supervisor at a senior citizen nursing facility, a committed churchgoer and a “gentle giant,” as recounted by family attorney and friend, John Sodipo.
In a conversation with Robles, Lunsford’s attorney, he despondently stated, “This was a very horrible situation.”
Currently, there exists no evidence indicating malice or racially-motivated factors within this case, according to Torrez. However, if the circumstances change, the charges could be revised. Nevertheless, Isaac Eze, Presley’s father, starkly reminded those at Tuesday’s conference, “You shoot somebody on the head, you want him dead.”
Historically, this is not Lunsford’s first run-in with complaints of ruthless dominance. He was accused in a 2014 domestic disturbance call which resulted in discharging a firearm. Although Lunsford was named in the lawsuit for excessive use of force, it was dismissed in 2022.
When asked to comment on previous complaints, Robles confirmed their existence, but declined to comment further.
Incensed by the devastating event, a statement from the Eze family read, “The officers introduced violence at every level.” The family is leaning on the justice system and trusts that Eze’s case will bring to light the historic and present implications of systematized violence against Black bodies in America.
Consultations with the use of force experts by special agents from the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office led to a universal conclusion. After reviewing the available video footage, it was determined that the use of lethal force by Lunsford was unwarranted under the circumstances and there were other, less deadly means for controlling Eze.
In response, Robles expressed disappointment, believing that experts should have given more credit to the officer’s statements and the eyewitness accounts. He questioned the reliability of the video footage, highlighting the importance of understanding the incident from the officer’s perspective.
Joe Kennedy, the Eze family attorney, urged for a reevaluation of the Las Cruces Police Department’s use of force policies. He stated that it’s crucial to examine these situations from the onset to identify potential opportunities for de-escalation.
Another Eze family attorney, Shannon Kennedy, revealed their intention to file a lawsuit against Lunsford personally.
