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Who was Jonathan Price? Petition for Black man killed in Wolfe City police shooting raises over $45,000

He grew up in Wolfe City and was close friends with former professional baseball player Will Middlebrooks. His friends and family have also noted that he was a star athlete throughout his schooling

WOLFE CITY, TEXAS: The family members of Jonathan Price, the victim of the officer-involved shooting that occurred in Wolfe City on Saturday, October 3, have revealed heart-wrenching details regarding him and what led to his fatal shooting. 

According to Fox 4 News, the investigation is underway and the officer-involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave until the investigation concludes. Wolfe City is situated about 15 miles of Greenville in Hunt County. The investigation is being conducted by the Texas Rangers. 

Who was Jonathan Price and why did he get shot? 

Price was a 31-year-old Black man, who worked at the Wolfe City public works department. According to the statement issued by his family to WFAA, Price was known among his peers and the people of the town as a fitness trainer. He grew up in Wolfe City and was close friends with former professional baseball player Will Middlebrooks. His friends and family have also noted that he was a star athlete throughout his schooling. 

Price’s mother Marcella Louis, told in a statement remembering his late son that “He had a good heart. He always tried to help others. I taught him that all through the years.” Meanwhile, his sister April mourned her brother’s loss saying, “Everybody loved Jonathan. Everybody. Black, white, Mexican, it doesn’t matter. He loved everybody. Everybody loved him.”

Middlebrooks took to his personal Facebook account to share a video, which shows him recollecting the time he spent with Price and talked about not wanting to see “the town get torn to pieces” because of his friend’s demise. "Most people in that town are behind Jonathan and everything he was about and who he is and who he was as a person,” he noted. 

While the law enforcement agency is yet to release details from the shooting, Prices’ family has confirmed that he was shot to death by a “White” officer. The incident reportedly took place at an Exxon gas station, when a fight broke between a couple and Price tried diffusing it. His family said that the officers fired multiple shots as they “may have thought the two men were fighting” when Price was confronting the couple. His mother reportedly rushed to the gas station on hearing about the shooting. “They wouldn’t let me get close to my baby. I just wanted to hold his hands and they wouldn’t let me do that. I just wanted to crawl over there,” she grieved.

Ironically, only a few months ago, when the Black Lives Matter movement was at its peak after the death of George Floyd, Price had shared a long post on Facebook detailing his experience with cops as a Black man, who "should have been detained" for breaking traffic rules or driving under the influence of substance among other things but was excused. He has stated at the end of the post, "Not saying black lives don't matter but don't forget about your own, or your experiences through growth/"waking up". 

Middlebrooks has started a petition on GoFundMe to seek justice for Price and also help take burden “off of the mourning family’s hands.” The petition has raised $45,401 with $50,000 as the goal. 

The brutal killing of Price, yet another Black man, has sparked fury as more and more people are taking to Twitter to condemn the media and justice system for not paying attention to his death. One tweeted, "An unarmed Black man in Texas was killed by police while he was breaking up a domestic abuse fight. This should be breaking news right now— but it’s not. Jonathan Price. Say his name." Another added, "An unarmed man was killed in east Texas last night. The irony of him proclaiming to focus on his own experiences only to be murdered a few months later is a lot. Jonathan Price was murdered last night by law enforcement. What a mess."

One tweeted, "Last night -- Jonathan Price, an unarmed black man was shot and killed in my hometown Wolfe City, TX by a white cop. Don't let this get swept under the rug. Say his name. #BlackLivesMatter"