A former police officer in New Mexico has been convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the 2022 fatal shooting of 36-year-old Presley Eze, an unarmed Black man, at a gas station in Las Cruces. After an eight-day trial, a jury reached its decision in just two and a half hours, finding that the officer, Brad Lunsford, had used unjustifiable deadly force. The conviction marks another case in the national debate over police use of force, particularly in encounters involving Black men.
The shooting occurred in August 2022 after officers responded to a call about a suspected beer theft. When Lunsford and his partner, Officer Keagan Arbogast, arrived at the scene, they attempted to remove Eze from his vehicle. A struggle ensued, during which Eze grabbed Arbogast’s stun gun. Without issuing a verbal warning or attempting to use non-lethal force, Lunsford fired his weapon at point-blank range, killing Eze instantly. Prosecutors argued that the officer’s actions constituted an excessive and unnecessary use of force.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez welcomed the verdict, stating that it reaffirmed the principle that no one is above the law, including law enforcement officers. “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,” Torrez said following the ruling. The former officer now faces a prison sentence of up to nine years.
The case has sparked debate over whether Lunsford’s use of force was justified, with opinions divided online. Some have argued that because Eze grabbed an officer’s stun gun, deadly force was warranted. Others contend that Lunsford acted recklessly and could have subdued Eze without resorting to lethal measures. The victim’s family has maintained that the shooting was racially motivated and has filed a civil lawsuit against the city of Las Cruces, alleging that Eze posed no significant threat when he was killed. That lawsuit remains pending.
Lunsford’s attorney, Jose Coronado, expressed disappointment with the jury’s decision and stated that he would ask the judge to review the verdict for legal sufficiency. Meanwhile, calls for greater accountability in law enforcement persist, with civil rights advocates pointing to the case as further evidence of the disparities in how police interact with communities of color.
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