Mesquite police kill man during stolen vehicle investigation

MESQUITE, Texas - Police shot and killed a man while investigating a report of a stolen vehicle in Mesquite, east of Dallas.

The family of the deceased said he was in his sister’s car near the stolen vehicle and wanted more answers about what led up to the shooting. 

It was around 3 a.m. Thursday when investigators say an officer spotted a stolen Hyundai sedan at a 7-Eleven near Cartwright Road. It was unoccupied at the time.

Police say a Chrysler sedan was following that stolen car, and the driver of that vehicle, 19-year-old Peyton Lawrence, was shot after he did not cooperate with the officer's commands.

According to investigators, two men ran behind the convenience store. They were believed to be connected to the Hyundai. 

Police say Peyton was uncooperative with the investigating officer. According to police, he was told to turn off the vehicle and to stop moving it. Instead, he continued making movements inside the car. The officer fired three shots, and the car rolled. 

Peyton died at the scene. Three other people inside the car were detained.

Police say multiple weapons were found in the Chrysler, but it’s still unclear if the officer saw Peyton with a gun and whether he perceived that as a threat. 

One of the three people who were detained was arrested on an outstanding warrant.

Stephen Lawrence says the Chrysler sedan belongs to his daughter. He said his son, Peyton Lawrence, was the driver and that investigators are still trying to review video of the incident. 

"My daughter called me, and someone got in touch with her because he was in her car," Stephen said. "He definitely wasn’t in a stolen car. And so we want to see why you would you shoot through a windshield of someone sitting in a car?"

The two people from the stolen car were not found after they ran away. 

"Whether they live close by and made it home, it does not appear that they are a threat to the community in any way," Ricketts said.

While Stephen and his family want more details from police, they hope those details provide more answers. 

"One of the kids was arrested. So maybe they can find out what happened and if Peyton was involved," he said.

The officer has been with Mesquite PD for 17 years, and police say it is still an ongoing investigation.