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 Corey Jones, a 31-year-old black drummer, was waiting for a tow
truck around 3 a.m. on Sunday when he was approached by Nouman Raja,
who was driving an unmarked van, the lawyers told a news conference
on the steps of the Palm Beach County courthouse.
Police say there was a confrontation with Jones, who was carrying a
recently purchased handgun, that ended with Jones being shot and
killed by Raja, who was on duty investigating a burglary.
The shooting is the latest in a string of fatal incidents involving
police and black men across the United States that have sparked
outrage and fueled questions about excessive use of force by
officers.
Raja, 38, fired six bullets, hitting Jones three times, one of the
lawyers, Benjamin Crump, told reporters after meeting with the state
attorney investigating the incident."Corey Jones never fired his
weapon ... it's very troubling on many, many levels," he said,
citing preliminary information provided to the family by the state
attorney's office.
Jones was driving home to Boynton Beach after a gig with the band
Future Prezidents when his car broke down, his family said. Crump
said Raja, an officer of Asian heritage, emerged from a van with
tinted windows and never identified himself by showing his badge.
"We believe Corey went to his grave without knowing whether this was
a real cop or not," said Crump.
Jones was "running away at some point," he added, though there was
no evidence that he was shot in the back. The fatal bullet struck
him in the side and lodged in his upper body.
Jones' body was found 80 to 100 feet (24 to 30 meters) from his car,
and his gun was found on the ground between the car and his body,
the lawyer said.
The death is being investigated by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's
Office as well as the state attorney, with the support of the
Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
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Jones' family described him as a responsible gun owner with the
proper permits who armed himself to protect expensive drum equipment
and cash payments from performances. He often drove home late at
night.
"He would not ever, ever, ever ... pull a gun on a police
(officer)," said his older brother, C.J. Jones, a former National
Football League wide receiver.
His father, Clinton Jones Sr, barely unable to speak with emotion,
stammered, "I need to know why my son is gone today."
Hundreds of people gathered outside Palm Beach Gardens City Hall on
Thursday for a peaceful rally in support of the Jones family, some
holding "Black Lives Matter," posters.
Raja, who was not injured, has been placed on routine administrative
leave with pay while the case is investigated.
Raja joined the Palm Beach Gardens police in April and previously
worked for seven years at the police department in Atlantis, a small
town south of Palm Beach.
He received a written warning in 2011 after he had to be told to
halt a police chase, according to official documents released by
Palm Beach Gardens police.
He was also threatened with suspension in 2013 by the Atlantis
police department after supervisors found unfiled paperwork and
prescription drugs from a narcotics case in Raja’s patrol vehicle,
local media reported.
Police declined to comment due to the ongoing investigation. Raja
gave no comment on Wednesday when approached by a local TV news
crew.
(Reporting by Zachary Fagenson in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; Writing
by David Adams; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Dan Grebler)
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