Man killed in Texas police shooting called ‘pillar of the community'; officer placed on leave

WOLFE CITY, Texas — A Texas police officer is on leave and a family wants answers after a Saturday night shooting left one man, who they say was attempting to defuse an apparent domestic violence altercation, dead.

The Texas Rangers, who are investigating the incident, confirmed late Sunday that one person was shot by a Wolfe City police officer and that that officer has been placed on administrative leave, KDFW reported.

Although officials have not identified the victim, relatives of Jonathan Price, 31, confirmed to WFAA that he was trying to intervene in a domestic violence confrontation at a Kwik Check gas station when he was shot multiple times. Wolfe City is about an hour northeast of Dallas.

Price’s family told KDFW that an officer pulled up to the gas station as Price attempted to break up the fight. They said a stun gun was deployed and then the officer fired shots. Price was shot multiple times and died from his injuries, his family said.

Law enforcement officials have not identified Price, a Wolfe City employee, as the shooting victim or released any additional details regarding the incident, WFAA reported.

Price’s mother, Marcella Louis, told the TV station that she was not surprised to hear her son was intervening in a fight.

“That’s what he always did, tried to help others. I taught him that all the years,” Louis said.

Kyla Sanders, who was at a store across the street from the gas station when the shooting occurred, told WFAA that she heard three gunshots and was “devastated” when she realized who had been shot.

“We all love (Price) and think so highly of him and just the nicest guy you could ever meet. We’re all devastated, shocked. We don’t really know what to do or where to go from here,” Sanders said, calling Price a “pillar of the community.”

Civil rights lawyer Lee Merritt posted about Price’s death on Facebook and told the TV station that he had spoken with the man’s family.

“When police arrived, I’m told, he raised his hands and attempted to explain what was going on,” Merritt wrote on Facebook. “Police fired tasers at him, and when his body convulsed from the electrical current, they ‘perceived a threat’ and shot him to death.”

Cox Media Group