SANTA FE, N.M. — On Wednesday, a New Mexico police officer was convicted of voluntary manslaughter stemming from the shooting death of a Black man during a confrontation at a gas station in 2022. The jury’s decision regarding Las Cruces officer Brad Lunsford highlights ongoing discussions about systemic violence against Black individuals by law enforcement, particularly following the high-profile 2020 murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis.
Lunsford, who is white, had maintained a not guilty plea throughout the trial. His attorney, Jose Coronado, announced plans to request a review of the verdict on the grounds of legal insufficiency, expressing disappointment in the outcome. “While I respect the jury’s verdict, I am extremely disappointed in it. I don’t believe the state met its burden,” Coronado stated in an email.
Evidence presented in court revealed that Lunsford shot Presley Eze at close range during a struggle, which began when police responded to an emergency call made by a gas station attendant who reported a beer theft. Witnesses said that Eze had allegedly reached for a second officer’s stun gun before being shot. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez emphasized the unreasonableness of using deadly force in this scenario, particularly since Lunsford drew his service weapon and fired at Eze’s head from behind.
In response to the verdict, Torrez remarked, “Today’s verdict reaffirms a fundamental principle: no one is above the law — not even those sworn to uphold it. Officer Lunsford’s actions were not just a tragic lapse in judgment; they were an egregious abuse of power that cost Presley Eze his life.”
The voluntary manslaughter charge, enhanced for the use of a firearm, could result in a sentence of up to nine years behind bars. Footage from police body cameras played a significant role during the trial, illustrating the incident where police forcibly removed Eze from his vehicle, leading to a physical altercation.
Criminal justice expert Philip Stinson noted that most police shootings are ruled as legally justified based on precedents from two key Supreme Court cases from the 1980s. Stinson added that prosecutors face substantial challenges in securing convictions in such cases, as jurors are often hesitant to critique the rapid decisions made by police officers in high-stakes situations. He stated, “Anything can happen, but it’s only in the most egregious cases.”
Stinson’s research reveals that over the past two decades, 205 law enforcement officers have been charged with homicide or manslaughter, but only 66 have been convicted, with just 27 of those convictions being directly related to manslaughter or homicide. “If you do get a conviction, it’s often for the lesser offense,” he remarked.
Typically, in the United States, there are more than 900 fatal shootings by on-duty state and local officers each year. In the case of Lunsford, Attorney General Torrez characterized the shooting of Eze as a tragedy and highlighted it as an instance of ineffective police tactics leading to the unnecessary use of deadly force against an individual accused of a minor crime.
This account clarifies that Lunsford remains in active service as a police officer in Las Cruces.
