On November 8, 2017, Lyndo Jones, a 31-year-old black man, was accosted by police in Mesquite, Texas, as he was trying to shut off the malfunctioning alarm in his vehicle. Reportedly, within 10 seconds of the arrival of the police, Jones was allegedly shot in the stomach by a black officer. He was then tased as he was lying there. The officers allegedly tried to conduct a cavity search, and Jones was then shot in the back. Initially, Jones, who has survived the alleged police shooting, was charged with evading arrest; but that charge was dropped. On December 7, 2017, it was reported that the officer involved in the shooting has been indicted on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon by a public servant. The officer turned himself in and has since been released on a $300,000 bond.
Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson has declined to share or describe the body camera footage of the incident.
The charges that the officer faces for the alleged police shooting of Jones carries a sentence of between 5 years to life in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. Johnson said the maximum sentence in the case is being pursued.
The officer who has been charged was fired in November for violating the policies of the police department. Charlie Cato, Mesquite Police Chief, did not specify which policies may have been violated, but he did say the officer involved had been with the Mesquite Police Department for more than nine years.
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