TITUSVILLE, Fla. – A Titusville police officer arrested on manslaughter charges in a fatal shooting has bonded out.

FDLE investigators say Officer Joshua Payne shot and killed James Lowery who was running away from him last December. It’s an arrest that attorneys representing the family say is encouraging for them in order to hold the officer accountable.

What You Need To Know

  • Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigators say Officer Payne was responding to a 911 call about a man attacking a woman back in December

  • At the time he was holding both his taser and handgun, when he tried to climb the fence he fired one round, killing Lowery, who was later determined not to have been involved

  • After the FDLE investigated Payne’s use of deadly force they submitted their findings to State Attorney Phil Archers office who filed the manslaughter charge

For retired police officer and justice studies professor Dr. David Thomas, something has to change.

“Policing has to reimagine itself," said Dr. Thomas.

Thomas said the details of the case show an officer who made poor decisions under stress.

“We're at a point where we the profession needs to be held accountable," said Thomas.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigators say Officer Payne was responding to a 911 call about a man attacking a woman back in December. While attempting to question 40-year-old James Lowery, a chase ensued. According to the report, Officer Payne tried to use his taser to stop Lowery from jumping a gate. At the time he was holding both his taser and handgun. When he tried to climb the fence he fired one round, killing Lowery, who was later determined not to have been involved in the attack.

After the FDLE investigated Payne’s use of deadly force, they submitted their findings to State Attorney Phil Archer's office, who filed the manslaughter charge.

Dr. Thomas said in his opinion it all comes down to training an experience.

“I guarantee you, there was no training where you have a taser in one hand, and your hand gun in another," said Thomas.

He mentions how training may change after this incident, but policing as a whole is going to need a bigger push.

"We've done things for years one way. And so now it's time to start thinking of other ways to do that," said Thomas.

Dr. Thomas mentions how incidents like this are a double-edged sword. While it’s important to keep police officers accountable, it is partly why many agencies nationwide are having issues recruiting officers.