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Texas Police Officer Charged with Murder of "Hometown Hero" Makes His Way to Collin County Jail

Jonathan Price was a miracle baby who wanted to be a star. He was a former high school football star, a personal trainer, a mentor, a community leader, and a city employee.
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Jonathan Price was a miracle baby who wanted to be a star. He was a former high school football star, a personal trainer, a mentor, a community leader, and a city employee. The 31 year old was consider the pillar of the community and known as the “hometown hero.”

He was also Black and statistically 2.8 times more likely to be killed by law enforcement than a white person, according to a Nov. 2016 report “Deaths Due to Use Lethal Force by Law Enforcement.” “Most victims were reported to be armed (83%); however, Black victims were more likely to be unarmed (14.8%) than white (9.4%) or Hispanic (5.8%) victims,” reported researchers Dr. Sarah DeGue, Dr. Katherine Fowler, and Dr. Cynthia Calkins.

Sadly, on Saturday, Oct. 3, Price became just another statistic when a Wolfe City police officer, Shaun Lucas, shot and killed him as he was trying to help someone in need, according to multiple reports.  

Two days later, Texas Rangers arrested Lucas on a murder charge. He was taken to Hunt County but has since been transferred to Collin County where he is being held on a $1 million bond. 

“We are honoring the request of the Hunt County Sheriff’s Office to house that inmate in our facility,” Collin County Sheriff Jim Skinner told Local Profile

Jonathon Price (on the left) and former Wolfe City police officer Shaun Lucas (on the right) / Facebook and Hunt County Jail

Texas Rangers reported that Lucas responded to a disturbance call around 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Kwik Check gas station at the 100 block of Santa Fe Street and approached Price who witnesses claimed was trying to diffuse the domestic disturbance. Lucas tried to detain Price who resisted in a non-threatening posture and began walking away. 

Lucas, who had just graduated from police academy in April, deployed his taser and then pulled his gun and shot Price, according to an Oct. 5 statement by the Texas Rangers. 

Price was taken to Hunt Regional Hospital where he later died. 

“The preliminary investigation indicates that the actions of Officer Lucas were not objectionably reasonable,” the Rangers said. 

Lucas’ attorney denies any wrong. 

Civil Rights attorney Lee Merritt, a McKinney resident, is representing Price’s family and held a press conference Monday and wrote on Facebook: "[Price] raised his hands and attempted to explain what was going on. ... Lucas fired his Taser at him and when his body convulsed from the electrical current... 'perceived a threat' and shot him to death."

On Monday, Price’s family held a vigil for him. Price’s cousin Terrence Wright told NBC 5, “He was a good man. He was a good role model. He was a good person.”