In the late afternoon of Saturday, August 22, 2020, 61-year-old Danny Buckley, a Black man known to panhandle in the area, was in the parking lot of a Trader Joe's on Perkins Road in Baton Rouge. Around 6:30 p.m., he approached a car where 24-year-old Jace Boyd, a white man, was seated. After a brief verbal exchange, Buckley walked away.
The situation escalated when Buckley then approached two young women to ask for money. Boyd got out of his vehicle and confronted Buckley.
According to police reports, Boyd, who was armed, claimed he felt Buckley was a threat. After his gun initially misfired, Boyd reloaded the weapon and shot the unarmed Buckley once in the abdomen. Emergency services were called, and Buckley was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Jace Boyd was initially questioned by police on the night of the shooting and released. However, he was arrested several days later and charged with second-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon. Boyd remained in the East Baton Rouge Parish Jail on a $300,000 bond. The case eventually went to trial, where Boyd's defense argued that he felt threatened by Buckley.
In April 2024, a jury convicted Jace Boyd of the lesser charge of manslaughter. He faced a potential sentence of up to 40 years in prison. In June 2024, a judge sentenced Boyd to 18 months in prison. The jury could not reach a verdict on the charge of illegal use of a weapon, resulting in a hung jury for that count. The lenient sentence was met with criticism from the district attorney and caused Buckley's family to leave the courtroom in protest. The district attorney noted that Boyd had shown no remorse for his actions.
