Texas Democrats rely on voters of color to be competitive. So why are their top statewide candidates mostly white?
The GOP slate for statewide office includes two high-profile Latinos and two Black candidates who have previously held state or federal office. Republicans are making a play to be more competitive with voters of color as the stateโs electorate grows more diverse.
Prominent lawyer Lee Merritt says heโll challenge Ken Paxton in run for Texas attorney general
DALLAS โ A prominent Dallas attorney who has represented the families of Black people killed by police officers says he is running for Texas attorney general. Lee Merritt announced over the weekend that he plans to challenge Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton after mentioning the idea during a protest Friday over a man's death in a suburban Dallas jail. โTexas deserves an attorney general that will fight for the constitutional rights of all citizens,โ Merritt tweeted Saturday. People seeking to run for Texas attorney general cannot file candidacy papers for months, but the 2022 election has dawn early attention following new criminal allegations against Paxton. Paxton has denied any wrongdoing and said he'll seek reelection.
Family calls for arrest of Texas officer who fatally shot man during a mental health call
BELTON โ Family members of a Black man fatally shot by a Killeen, Texas, police officer who was responding to a mental health call are calling for the officer to be arrested and charged for the shooting. Patrick Lynn Warren, 52, was shot Sunday by Officer Reynaldo Contreras, who was responding to what has been termed a psychiatric call, police said. โInstead of that same resource officer who had helped before, they sent Reynaldo Contreras,โ Merritt said. โThe officer had a hostile demeanor and was not prepared to deal with a mental health crisis ... (the incident) continued to escalate. โWe expect Officer Reynaldo Contreras to be arrested immediately.
Black man's family views graphic video of in-custody death
Greene died following a police chase in Louisiana in 2019, and his death is now under federal investigation. โThis family has been lied to the entire time about what happened,โ said civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, who also viewed the footage. Police initially told Greeneโs family he had โdied on impactโ after crashing into a tree, the doctor wrote. Greeneโs death, which followed a chase near Monroe over an unspecified traffic violation, was ruled accidental and attributed to cardiac arrest, said Renee Smith, the Union Parish coroner who was not in office when that determination was made. The State Police report refers to Greene crashing into a tree as the โthe most harmful eventโ in the crash.
Thursday news conference with family of man fatally shot by Texas cop canceled
Update: The news conference was canceled just before 1:30 p.m. Thursday. The news conference is slated to begin at 1:30 p.m. in Greenville, located in Hunt County. When Lucas produced a stun gun, Price began to walk away. After Lucas deployed the stun gun, which wasnโt fully effective, Price walked toward him and appeared to reach out to grab the end of the stun gun, the affidavit said. The affidavit said that Lucas then fired four times, striking Price in the upper torso.
Texas police officer arrested on suspicion of murder in fatal shooting of Jonathan Price
Just two days after 31-year-old Jonathan Price was killed by police in North Texas, the Texas Rangers on Monday arrested the officer they say shot him, saying the officerโs actions did not seem โobjectionably reasonable.โWolfe City police officer Shaun Lucas, who is white, was arrested on suspicion of murder in the death of Price, who was Black, the Texas Department of Public Safety said in a statement. Merritt said Price had seen a man assaulting a woman and intervened. When police arrived, Merritt said Price raised his hands and tried to explain what was happening. DPS said Lucas tried to detain Price, who โresisted in a non-threatening posture and began walking away.โLucas fired a taser at Price, then shot him, DPS said. โThe preliminary investigation indicates that the actions of Officer Lucas were not objectionably reasonable,โ the agency's statement read.
Deputy involved in fatal shooting of Damian Lamar Daniels also killed mentally distressed man in 2010
SAN ANTONIO A Bexar County deputy who fatally shot Damian Lamar Daniels on Aug. 25 was involved in a similar fatal shooting a decade ago, according to the sheriffs office. Daniels, a combat veteran, had been struggling over the recent deaths of loved ones and was paranoid, family said. On Sept. 17, 2010, Rodriguez fatally shot Jack Burney Butler, who had struggled with bipolar disorder, according to the San Antonio Express-News. The officer told him to stop, and my brother did not, Shannon Butler told the Express-News. Merrit and Daniels family met with District Attorney Joe Gonzales on Tuesday in hopes of getting justice for him.
Civil rights attorney disputes BCSOs claim that combat veteran was suicidal
National civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, associate attorney Blerim Elmazi and members of Daniels family met with Gonzales and his staff. Merritt also confirmed that BCSO officials reached out to the Daniels family after he was killed, but the family declined meeting with law enforcement. Once the case is reviewed, it will be presented to a Bexar County Grand jury to determine if an indictment is warranted. Daniels death has sparked demonstrations outside the Bexar County Jail and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff has directed his county manager to look into policy changes. Two veteran deputies and a trainee deputy have are being placed on administrative leave before being placed on administrative duty as standard procedure.