Corey Jones, 31, was shot and killed by a plainclothes Palm Beach Gardens police officer on Sunday, October 18 when auto trouble caused him to become stranded after a drumming gig.
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Police in Florida are investigating why a plainclothed police officer shot and killed a church musician who was sitting in his vehicle on a highway exit ramp after it reportedly broke down. Police say that when they encountered Jones, he was armed, but they are not releasing key details about the shooting in spite of pleas by Jones’ family and friends.
Jones’ family, meanwhile, says that the 31-year-old was a “gentle spirit” who was non-violent. Wright explained that Jones had called an older brother to report auto problems while on the way home from a gig on Sunday morning. The investigation has been turned over to PBSO.
The Palm Beach Gardens Police Department acknowledges that Raja approached Jones at around 3:15 a.m. local time.
Family and friends of a Florida church drummer are demanding answers after he was killed by a police officer while waiting for roadside assistance.
“We didn’t find out about it until about 12 hours later”, his uncle, Sylvester Banks Jr., told the Sun-Sentinel.
According to the source, evidence technicians found five casings from Raja’s Glock 40 at the scene.
“As the officer exited his vehicle, he was suddenly confronted by an armed subject”, the statement said.
Raja, who was investigating a string of burglaries when the incident occurred, has been put on paid administrative leave, Stepp said.
“The officers said this included being pulled over for no reason, having their heads slammed against their cars, getting guns brandished in their faces, being thrown into prison vans and experiencing stop and frisks while shopping”, Reuters reported.
“I tried to help him the best I could, but I’m not a mechanic or anything”, Huntsberger said. “Corey Jones was a God-fearing man who dedicated his life to doing the right thing”, his family says in a statement through lawyers Benjamin Crump and Daryl Parks, who’ve worked with relatives of Trayvon Martin and Mike Brown. Before they formally addressed the shooting on Tuesday, the president of the department’s union criticized officials for not addressing the public sooner.
The department posted the press release to its Facebook page, but then after receiving more than two dozen comments, deleted the entire page.
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Jones’ loved ones gathered Monday night at the Bible Church of God in Boynton Beach, where Jones played the drums in a church band. Jones was not only a musician; he was also an assistant manager of the Delray Beach Housing Authority.
