In the early hours of December 14, 2023, at approximately 3:03 a.m., a Mesquite Police Department (MPD) officer discovered a stolen Hyundai sedan in the vicinity of Cartwright Rd. and Faithon P. Lucas Blvd. The officer noticed that the stolen vehicle was being trailed by a Chrysler sedan as both vehicles passed in the opposite direction on Cartwright Rd.
Upon returning to the intersection, the officer found both vehicles parked at gas pumps at the 7-11 located at that location. The stolen Hyundai was unoccupied, and the officer approached the Chrysler sedan, which had four occupants. Simultaneously, two individuals described as Black males in black hoodies and sweatpants were observed fleeing on foot behind the store.
The officer relayed the descriptions of the fleeing suspects to incoming officers and engaged with the occupants of the Chrysler sedan. Despite commands to turn off the vehicle and cease movement, the driver remained uncooperative, making furtive movements inside. In response, the officer discharged three rounds, striking the driver.
The Chrysler sedan rolled to a stop on the North side of the parking lot. The three other occupants were detained, and life-saving measures were administered to the injured driver. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. Multiple firearms were discovered inside the Chrysler sedan.
The deceased driver was identified as 19-year-old Payton Lawrence from Mesquite. Two individuals inside the Chrysler were questioned and released, while the third, identified as 19-year-old Kevon Moore from Dallas, was arrested for outstanding warrants.
The involved officer, a veteran with seventeen years of service in the Mesquite Police Department, is currently under investigation. Mesquite officers, aided by the DPS 101 helicopter and Mesquite Police K9, conducted a search for the two fleeing subjects but were unable to locate them.
The incident remains an ongoing investigation.
