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Jury convicts former Las Cruces police officer of manslaughter
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A jury found former Las Cruces police officer Brad Lunsford guilty of voluntary manslaughter Wednesday in the 2022 killing of Presley Eze.
Lunsford, 39, was immediately taken into custody to be held at the Luna County Detention Center ahead of his sentencing.
The eight-day criminal trial stemmed from a complaint of shoplifting at a local gas station on Aug. 2, 2022, that escalated into a melee involving Lunsford, another officer and Eze. Lapel camera and mobile phone footage by a bystander showed officers pulling Eze out of his vehicle and wrestling him to the ground as he attempted to flee.
Ultimately, in a fight lasting less than 30 seconds, Lunsford fired a shot directly into Eze鈥檚 head, killing him.
Jose Coronado, Lunsford鈥檚 attorney, said he will ask the judge to review the verdict for its legal sufficiency. 鈥淲hile I respect the jury鈥檚 verdict, I am extremely disappointed in it. I don鈥檛 believe the state met its burden,鈥� he said in an email to The Associated Press.
The New Mexico Department of Justice charged Lunsford with voluntary manslaughter, a third-degree felony, with a firearm enhancement in October and a grand jury indicted him in December.
Lunsford testified at trial that Eze, 36, reached for the other officer鈥檚 gun as well as a Taser that had fallen to the ground, while an expert witness for the prosecution argued that Eze could not have used it effectively under the circumstances.
Coronado, Lunsford鈥檚 attorney, told jurors in his closing argument that Lunsford had followed his training and department policy in a fast-moving and dangerous situation. In attempting to subdue Eze, Coronado emphasized Lunsford鈥檚 testimony that he could not easily reach his baton or Taser and reasonably judged there was an imminent threat of death or bodily harm, justifying deadly force.
Prosecutors countered that Lunsford had time to position the gun against Eze鈥檚 head so that his fellow officer would not be hurt and could have used other nonlethal means to subdue Eze. Prosecutor John Duran argued that Lunsford鈥檚 decision was not reasonable under the circumstances, suggesting he may rather have been motivated by rage.
鈥淭hat is not a reasonable officer,鈥� Duran told the jury, underscoring that Eze had merely been accused of shoplifting a beer. 鈥淗e went from zero to death in a matter of seconds.鈥�
The jury deliberated for 2陆 hours before returning a guilty verdict. It was not immediately clear how soon Lunsford would face a sentencing hearing.
State Attorney General Ra煤l Torrez said in a statement that Lunsford could face up to nine years in prison, given firearm enhancement.
鈥淣o one is above the law 鈥� not even those sworn to uphold it. Officer Lunsford鈥檚 actions were not just a tragic lapse in judgment; they were an egregious abuse of power that cost Presley Eze his life,鈥� Torrez said in a news release following the verdict. 鈥淭he jury鈥檚 swift decision underscores the gravity of this case and sends a clear message that excessive force will not be tolerated in New Mexico. Our office will continue to hold law enforcement officers accountable when they violate the public trust and betray the communities they are meant to protect.鈥�
Algernon D鈥橝mmassa is the 近距离内射合集鈥檚 southern New Mexico correspondent. He can be reached at adammassa@abqjournal.com.
