Witness claims Fresno County deputy accused in sergeant’s death said ‘he didn’t do it.’
A Fresno County Sheriff’s lieutenant testified Friday that former deputy Jared Mullis told him conflicting stories about how Sgt. Rod Lucas died on Oct. 31, 2016.
Lucas was killed by a single gunshot wound to the chest and detectives allege Mullis is responsible.
Mullis, 36, is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Lucas, a well-liked and longtime sergeant. Lucas and Mullis worked for the Sheriff’s special investigations unit handling narcotics cases.
Attorneys agree that the night of the shooting the small team of undercover deputies was winding down in the unit’s office near Fresno Yosemite International Airport when Lucas and Mullis began playing around. During the horseplay Lucas’ gun fell out of his holster.
What happened next is in dispute. Sheriff’s detectives and Deputy District Attorney Amy Freeman believe Mullis was showing Lucas his new gun and holster when he passed the gun, a Smith & Wessen M&P 45 Shield, to his sergeant and it went off.
The bullet hit the 46-year-old Lucas in the upper body and despite rescue efforts he died a short time later at Community Regional Medical Center.
Lt. Brandon Pursell, a close friend of Lucas, testified Friday to a confusing conversation he had with Mullis, several days after the shooting. The slain deputy’s family was making arrangements at a local funeral home and Pursell was asked by the family to arrange a meeting between several of them and Mullis.
Pursell said Jami Lucas, Rod Lucas’ wife, wanted to tell Mullis she was willing to forgive him.
After their private meeting, Pursell said he had a brief, but strange, conversation with Mullis. “He said he didn’t do it,” Pursell said. “He was saying things that didn’t make sense like: ‘I wasn’t even there.’”
Pursell said he didn’t ask for clarification, despite knowing that several deputies said Mullis and Lucas were both in the unit’s office that night.
“After that point I told him I didn’t want to talk about it with him,” Pursell said.
Meanwhile, defense attorney Roger Wilson is trying to convince the jury Mullis didn’t pull the trigger and it’s not clear how the gun went off. Wilson said Mullis was handing the gun and holster to Lucas, when he turned around and then heard a shot.
Homicide detective Jose Diaz also testified Friday that Mullis told a sergeant a slightly different version of what happened.
“Mullis said that in the exchange the gun fell and it went off,” Diaz said.
If found guilty, Mullis could spend up to four years in prison.
Robert Rodriguez: (559) 441-6327, @fresnobeebob
This story was originally published December 6, 2019 at 4:13 PM.
