James Mayer Obituary, LUBBOCK, Texas — James Mayer, 20, has died after being shot by a Lubbock police officer during an early-morning confrontation on Monday, August 24, 2026, following reports of a person firing a gun in the Canyon Lake area.
According to the Lubbock Police Department, officers were dispatched at approximately 9:43 a.m. to the 2100 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard after receiving reports of an armed man driving a passenger vehicle and firing a gun into bushes near the Canyon Lake area. Officers located the vehicle and identified Mayer as the driver.
Police said Mayer was traveling north on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard when he stopped near 19th Street. Officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop and ordered him to show his hands. According to investigators, Mayer did not comply and pointed a firearm out of the vehicle’s window before firing.
Mayer continued driving north before stopping again and fleeing from officers. The pursuit continued after he turned east onto Parkway Drive, with an officer attempting to forcibly stop the vehicle. Police said the pursuit eventually entered a parking lot in the 1800 block of Parkway Drive.
According to police, Mayer drove behind a building on the southwest side of the property, where officers attempted another vehicle stop. His vehicle struck a parked vehicle and came to a stop. Mayer then exited the vehicle while holding a firearm and, according to investigators, pointed the weapon at an officer, prompting the officer to fire.
Mayer was struck by the officer’s gunfire. Once officers determined there was no longer an immediate threat from a firearm, they began providing lifesaving medical aid until emergency medical personnel arrived. Mayer was transported by EMS to University Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.
The Lubbock police officer involved in the shooting was not injured. The officer, who has served with the Lubbock Police Department for approximately eight years, was placed on administrative leave as the circumstances surrounding the shooting are reviewed, in accordance with routine procedures for officer-involved shooting investigations.
The Lubbock Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit is conducting an independent investigation, while the Lubbock Police Department is conducting its own internal administrative review. Authorities continue to examine the reported gunfire, the subsequent pursuit and the confrontation in the Parkway Drive parking lot. Additional information is expected as the investigations continue.