What to Know
- Mesquite police officer spotted an occupied stolen vehicle and followed it to a convenience store.
- The officer approached the vehicle and during a confrontation fired his weapon, killing one person.
- Three others were detained at the scene and two fled. The officer is on administrative leave while the shooting is investigated.
A 19-year-old man was fatally shot by a Mesquite police officer during an investigation into a stolen vehicle early Thursday morning.
The shooting happened at about 3 a.m. at a convenience store at the corner of Faithon P. Lucas Boulevard and Cartwright Road in South Mesquite.
Mesquite Police said one of their officers discovered a stolen vehicle and followed the driver to the parking lot of a 7-Eleven. Another car was following the stolen vehicle and parked at the same location.
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Police said after the officer approached the stolen vehicle, a confrontation occurred between him and six people at the scene. Police confirmed the officer fired his gun, killing one person.
No other injuries were reported.
Late Thursday afternoon, police released a press release with new information on the shooting, including the officer’s story.
Police, however, did not release any video supporting the officer’s account.
The department’s spokesman says they are in the process of retrieving multiple videos from different sources, including surveillance video and body camera video, capturing the incident from different angles.
In an effort to show transparency, the department says it will likely release video and images of the encounter in the coming weeks.
Releasing evidence will take longer than other cases, in part because of holiday schedules and because the city manager is or will be out of the country, he said.
It is possible police will release images the week of Christmas, said Rickett.
According to the officer, he spotted a stolen car driving down Cartwright Road with a second car following behind it.
The officer turned around and noticed both cars stopped at the convenience store, stopping at gas pumps.
The officer says he walked up to the stolen silver Hyundai, noticed it was empty and saw two men running away nearby.
The officer, who had determined both vehicles were working together, approached Payton’s car which had three other passengers inside.
According to Mesquite PD, the officer tried detaining Lawrence but claims the 19-year-old was uncooperative with the officer’s commands to turn off his car, stop moving the car and to stop moving while inside the car, leading the officer to open fire.
The officer, who is not being publicly identified at this time by Mesquite PD, has been with the department for 17 years, according to Rickett.
Mesquite Police said three others were detained at the scene and two people fled the location. A Texas DPS helicopter spent several hours searching the neighborhood for them but was eventually called off the search.
"Officers are constantly having to make split-second decisions," said Lt. Brandon Ricketts with the Mesquite Police Department. "This is what I wouldn't say a routine call, but this is something that we come across quite a bit. A typical call in a night can turn it into a deadly event in a matter of seconds."
Mesquite Police said the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office has been notified as per protocol for officer-involved shootings.
The officer has been put on administrative leave as this investigation continues.
FAMILY OF MAN SHOT AND KILLED SPEAK OUT
“We’re all saddened by what happened and there’s a lot of grieving going on,” said Stephen Lawrence.
Lawrence was on the scene of the fatal encounter that claimed the life of his son, 19-year-old Payton Lawrence.
He noticed three bullet holes in the windshield of the car Payton was driving, his twin sister’s Chrysler.
“So apparently, they shot my son while he was in the car and pulled him out while he was dead and handcuffed him,” he said Thursday morning before heading to the police station to ask detectives ‘what happened and why.’
Family members accompanied Lawrence and waited in the hallway, listening to the conversation by phone.
“Right now, they say they don’t know exactly what happened,” Lawrence told reporters after the meeting. “They’re going to review footage of the store and from around the area.”
“Just because someone’s parked next to another car doesn’t mean they’re in relation to each other,” argued Lawrence.
He describes his son as a good kid with a great smile with dreams of graduating and going off to college or joining the military.
The young man worked at a fast food place and was ‘trying to get his life’ in order said Lawrence.
Lawrence, who lost another son a few years ago to gun violence, says he does not believe Payton was armed and insists Payton would never pull a gun on an officer.
Lawrence blames Governor Greg Abbott for loosening restrictions to carry guns on violence that has impacted communities of color in particular.
“If I had a message for the community is: We want to stop gun violence period,” he said. “We can’t just have police thinking just because they think someone has a gun, it’s OK to start shooting.”
POLICE SHOOTINGS
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