|
 Jones’ death, the latest in a string of fatal incidents in the
United States involving police and black men, has sparked calls for
greater transparency after the local sheriff's office released few
details following the shooting.
Plans to have the eulogy delivered by Sharpton, a prominent
activist, media and civil rights figure, were announced by lawyers
for Jones' family.
The state attorney’s office, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office,
and FBI are investigating the Oct. 18 shooting.
Jones was waiting for a tow truck beside a highway exit ramp when
Palm Beach Gardens police officer Nouman Raja, 38, pulled up in an
unmarked van, authorities said.
 A confrontation ensued and Raja, who is of South Asian descent,
fired six shots hitting the 31-year-old Jones three times, according
to the state attorney’s office.
Jones was in possession of a legally purchased handgun when the
shooting occurred but he also had a concealed weapons permit,
according to Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg.
Raja never displayed his police badge, according to Jones family
attorney Benjamin Crump.
"Isn’t the burden on the cop to make sure that the citizen knows
that he is a real cop?" Crump said during a press conference.
[to top of second column] |
Telephone records obtained by the Palm Beach Post show Jones at the
time of the shooting had been on a 53-minute phone call with an AT&T
roadside assistance representative.
Raja, who had been hired by the police department in April, had been
previously investigating robberies in the area. He has since been
placed on administrative leave with pay.
"We take this investigation very seriously and as such, we cannot
afford to rush, cut corners or appear to be partial," Aronberg said
in an emailed statement.
(Editing by David Adams and Tom Brown)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
