LUBBOCK, Texas– Nearly a year after 20-year-old Texas Tech student Erskin Charles Jenkins was shot and killed by a Lubbock County Sheriff’s deputy, his family and local civil rights advocates say they are still searching for answers and transparency.
Jenkins was killed on Nov. 23, 2024, after Wolfforth police responded to a disturbance call at a home 400 block of 14th street. Investigators said Jenkins had been threatening people inside with a weapon and pulled it out as officers tried to evacuate the house. A sheriff’s deputy shot him shortly after arriving. The deputy was placed on administrative leave, and the Texas Rangers took over the investigation.
A Lubbock County grand jury later declined to indict the deputy. A custodial death report submitted to the Texas Attorney General’s Office ruled the case a “justifiable homicide.” The Sheriff’s Office also released edited body camera footage, saying it was necessary to correct “misinformation” about the incident…