The family of a Black driver who was fatally shot by a police officer after his car broke down on an interstate off-ramp more than seven years ago has negotiated a $2 million settlement with a South Florida community.
In a statement, the city of Palm Beach Gardens announced that it had settled with Corey Jones’ family on Thursday through mediation. The payment, which the insurance carrier has promised to pay since 2016, according to the city’s statement, is for the entire sum covered under the insurance policy for the city.
Fired Officer Nouman Raja of Palm Beach Gardens was found guilty in 2019 of manslaughter and attempted murder and given a 25-year jail term for the death of Jones in October 2015. Raja was the first Florida law enforcement officer to be found guilty and given a sentence for a death committed while on duty in almost 30 years.
According to the prosecution, Raja turned a normal meeting with Jones, a 31-year-old housing inspector and part-time percussionist, into a lethal altercation.
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Jones had a concealed weapon permit and carried a firearm. When Raja approached him, he had a $10,000 drum set in his car that he had purchased the gun to protect.
On October 18, 2015, at 3:15 a.m., Raja, an Asian-American working for a Palm Beach Gardens vehicle crime investigation team, observed Jones’ SUV. Jones’ car stalled on a nighttime Interstate 95 off-ramp as he was returning home from seeing his reggae band perform at a bar. He brought a pistol that he had acquired just days prior to defend his $10,000 drum kit, which was in the Vehicle, and had a concealed carry license.
Raja drove an unmarked van the wrong way up an off-ramp and came within feet of the Vehicle while wearing jeans, a T-shirt, and a baseball cap. Raja allegedly never introduced himself as an officer and behaved so violently that Jones must have believed he was about to be kidnapped or killed, according to the prosecution. Raja’s boss stated in court that Raja had been instructed to put on a police vest if he approached a civilian. He didn’t pull his badge, either.
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