Texas officer charged in Jonathan Price’s shooting death has been fired

WOLFE CITY, Texas — A police officer charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Jonathan Price in Wolfe City was fired on Thursday, city officials said.

Wolfe City officer Shaun Lucas was “terminated for his egregious violation of the City’s and police department’s policies,” a statement from Wolfe City said.

Lucas was charged with murder earlier this week in connection with Price’s death. A preliminary investigation determined his actions were unreasonable, authorities said.

The officer was responding to a report of a disturbance and a possible fight in progress Saturday at a convenience store in Wolfe City when he shot Price four times in the torso, the probable cause affidavit released by the Hunt County District Clerk said.

Price, a 31-year-old Black man, was intervening in a domestic dispute and was never violent before Lucas shot him, said S. Lee Merritt, the attorney for Price’s family.

Attorney Robert Rogers, who is representing Lucas, has said Price “did not claim to be an uninvolved, innocent party” before Lucas attempted to detain him.

Texas Rangers booked Lucas into the Hunt County Jail on Monday. It’s not clear where Lucas is being held or if he’s bonded out. He is not listed on Hunt County’s online jail roster.

Lucas’ bond is set at $1 million, jail records indicate.

Officer thought Price was intoxicated, affidavit says

The officer arrived at the store and was greeted by Price, who came very close to Lucas and asked, “You doing good?” multiple times, according to the affidavit. Price tried to shake the officer’s hand.

Lucas thought Price was intoxicated. He attempted to detain him when Price told him, “I can’t be detained,” the affidavit states.

“Officer Lucas continued to attempt to detain Price by grabbing Price’s arm and using verbal commands, which were both unsuccessful,” the affidavit says.

Lucas told Price he would be tased if he didn’t comply and Price began to walk away, according to the affidavit.

Lucas deployed the Taser, but the affidavit says the device was not fully effective and Price “continued to walk toward Officer Lucas” while being tased.

According to the affidavit, “Price appeared to reach out and grab the end of Officer Lucas’ Taser” and Lucas shot him four times in the upper torso.

Price died at a hospital, the Texas Department of Public Safety said in a statement.

A preliminary autopsy report from the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office provided the cause of death: gunshot wounds. A full report, with toxicology results, is expected in six to eight weeks.