The family of a Black man who was killed by a police officer in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, in 2015 reached a $2 million settlement with the city on Feb. 23.
Corey Jones reportedly was killed on an interstate exit ramp by the officer after his SUV broke down.
Palm Beach Gardens police officer Nouman Raja shot and killed 31-year-old Jones at approximately 3:15 a.m. on Oct. 18, 2015, after seeing his SUV stalled on the exit ramp on an I-95 exit ramp and PGA Boulevard. The housing inspector and church drummer was on his way home from playing a gig with his reggae band.
Jones carried a handgun and was authorized to carry a concealed weapon. He bought the firearm to protect his drum set worth $10,000, which he had in his vehicle when he was approached by Raja.
Raja worked for the city’s auto burglary investigation team and wore plain clothes but was told to wear his police vest if he ever approached a civilian, which in this instance he reportedly didn’t do. Raja was wearing a baseball hat, jeans and a T-shirt when he approached Jones by driving an unmarked van up the exit ramp in the wrong direction.
Raja did not verbally identify himself nor did he show Jones his badge when he pulled his van up to Jones’ vehicle. The prosecutor said that Raja acted in such an aggressive manner, Jones must have thought he was about to be killed or robbed when he reached for his handgun as Raja opened fire multiple times.
Jones had been talking to a tow truck dispatcher on a recorded line. The dispatcher recorded him saying to Raja as he opened his door, “Huh?”
Raja yelled, “You good?” and Jones replied that he was. Raja twice asked him, “Really?”
Raja then yelled for Jones to raise his hands while using an expletive. According to prosecutors, Jones pulled his gun and tried to run away while Raja fired three shots at him as he ran down an embankment and threw his gun. Raja then fired three more times at Jones, who was…
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