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Jurors find ex-Wolfe City officer not guilty in murder trial
The former officer is white, the man he killed is Black, and the family of the man killed and their attorney say the only reason for the acquittal is because all 12 members of the Hunt County jury were white. "A jury not of his peers decided that his life didn't matter."
WOLFE CITY, Texas - A Hunt County jury found a former police officer not guilty of murder for fatally shooting a man nearly two years ago.
The former officer is white, the man he killed is Black, and the family of the man killed and their attorney say the only reason for the acquittal is because all 12 members of the Hunt County jury were white.
News cameras were not allowed in court for the trial.
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Ex-Wolfe City police officer goes on trial for Jonathan Price's murder
Former Wolfe City police officer Shaun Lucas will stand trial this week for shooting and killing Jonathan Price in 2020.
RELATED: Family says Jonathan Price killed in Wolfe City officer-involved shooting while breaking up fight
"We're relieved that the system worked," said defense attorney Robert Rodgers. "At the end of the day, the question is whether his actions were reasonable or not. And the mountain of evidence showed that he was reasonable."
"It makes every Black citizen in hunt county less safe. And it was delivered by a jury, not surprisingly, that didn't have a single Black person on it," said family attorney Lee Merritt. "A jury not of his peers decided that his life didn't matter. I honestly think it comes down to an inherent bias in favor of law enforcement in rural Texas."
"Do you think the makeup of the jury had something to do with it?" a reporter asked.
"Absolutely," one of Price’s relatives said. "There was not one person that looked like me. There was not one person that looked like my father. There was not one person that looked like Lee Merrett. Period. So what does that tell you?"
Body camera video evidence was shown in court but has not been released to the public.
Lucas was fired from the Wolfe City police force days after the shooting.
The Price family attorney says they will pursue a case with the Department of Justice.