DA releases toxicology results on officer-involved shooting case 

Lanier’s autopsy results show presence of marijuana, PCP 

WALLACE – The Office of District Attorney Ernie Lee issued a press release with the toxicology results for the James Lanier officer-involved shooting case on Jan. 8. 

Lanier, 36, of Rose Hill was shot and killed by an officer with the Wallace Police Department on Feb. 24, 2023, in the parking lot of the Express Mini Mart in Wallace. 

According to the DA’s press release, Lanier’s postmortem toxicology analysis showed elevated levels of THC and Phencyclidine, a street drug called angel dust or PCP. 

“These results help us understand Lanier’s behavior on February 24, 2023,” wrote Wallace Police Chief Jimmy Crayton in a media release about the findings, explaining that “angel dust is a well-known hallucinogenic that results in a sense of euphoria and omnipotence and gives the user what appears to be superhuman strength.” 

According to law enforcement, body cam footage and video retrieved from local surveillance cameras presented as evidence, showed Lanier nearly naked “shoving and punching the officer” and “attempting to take the officer’s firearm.”

“The officer deployed his Electronic Control Device (Taser), but even though contact was made with Lanier, the Taser was ineffective. After retreating nearly one hundred feet, trying to escape the attack, and after Lanier tried to take the officer’s handgun, the officer discharged his weapon, fatally wounding Lanier. Combined with Lanier’s violent and erratic behavior, the ineffective Taser deployment led us to suspect that a controlled substance impaired Lanier’s mental and physical faculties.” 

After reviewing all the evidence in the investigation, Lee held a press conference on May 19, 2023, to release his findings and determined that Lanier’s death, while tragic, was justified because his actions caused the officer to believe it necessary to protect his life. 

“The toxicology results shed light on an additional bad choice made by Lanier. Lanier chose to ingest PCP. Lanier chose to attack a police officer,” wrote Chief Crayton, emphasizing the poor choice of attacking an officer whose presence was meant to control an escalating act of violence. “These choices are what led to Lanier’s death. Lanier’s spontaneous and continued violent assault on the officer, including his trying to take the officer’s weapon, gave the officer no other choice but to discharge his firearm.”   

“This incident has caused a great deal of trauma to Lanier’s family, the officer involved in the shooting, and our community,” wrote Chief Crayton, concluding that he hopes “this final piece of evidence resolves those with lingering questions.”