Mesquite Police Officer Who Shot Lyndo Jones Will Face Grand Jury Tuesday.

A Grand Jury Will Decide Tomorrow If Derek Wiley, The Mesquite Police Officer Who Shot Lyndo Jones Almost Three Weeks Ago, Will Face Any Charges.

As Lyndo Jones sits in the hospital again due to complications with his gunshot wounds, the Mesquite police officer who shot him awaits Tuesday to learn his fate.

Officer Derek Wiley, a 10-year-veteran of Mesquite PD, will face a grand jury Tuesday that will determine whether he will face criminal charges for shooting Jones twice on November 8, The Root reported this past weekend.

But Jones’ attorneys S. Lee Merritt and Justin Moore held a press conference alongside other community leaders Monday afternoon to pressure Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson to not only present evidence to the grand jury but also to refer charges against Wiley, including one of attempted murder.

“We cannot condone sporadic justice,” Merritt said during the press conference. “We want a constant flow of justice from this office. We want uniformity in justice. And We’re not asking her to do anything exceptional, we’re asking her to do what is required of her.”

Jones’ case drew media attention after it came to light that after he was shot and taken to the hospital, he was chained to his hospital bed for six days without charges. And then, the day Jones was released, Mesquite police charged him with evading arrest but promptly dropped the charge.

Merritt, Moore and various other Justice For Lyndo Jones coalition members delivered 4,000 signatures to Johnson’s office Monday, but also to pressure her into making the dash cam and body cam footage available to the public.

“The reason body cams and dash cams exist is to hold officers accountable.” Merritt says. “That cannot happen if it’s constantly covered in secrecy.”

In the case that no charges are filed against Wiley, Merritt says he and the coalition are not just willing to take to the streets but also organize for the March 2018 primary election, when the race for the district attorney seat will take its final shape heading into the November general election.

“We are heavily relying on the vote in March,” Merritt says. “We’re going to find the candidate. It could be Faith Johnson. It could be any of the other candidates. It’s who’s willing to be accountable to the community. The community should not have to form coalitions to beg for a person who was shot twice in the back to have justice.”

Images via S. Lee Merritt’s Twitter feed.