Nouman Raja , 41, faces life in prison for fatally shooting musician Corey Jones, 31, who was waiting for help for his broken down SUV on the side of a South Florida highway when he was killed by Raja.
They said Jones, who was returning home from a performance with drums valued at $10,000 in the back of his SUV, pulled his legally-owned handgun because he feared he was being robbed. Raja shot him repeatedly. A medical examiner testified that Jones was killed by a shot through his heart.
A fired Florida police officer was convicted Thursday of manslaughter and attempted murder in the fatal shooting of a stranded black motorist in 2015.
A medical examiner testified that Jones was killed by a shot through his heart. The musician, who also worked as a housing inspector, was also shot once in each arm. Raja's attorneys said that he did identify himself and should be protected by Florida's "stand your ground" law because he feared for his life.
The four-man, two-woman jury had deliberated for about four hours before delivering the verdict of manslaughter with a firearm and attempted first-degree murder, according to The Associated Press. Raja had no reaction as the verdict was read.
Raja, 41, is the first Florida police officer in 30 years to receive a prison sentence for a line-of-duty shooting. Before sentencing Raja, Marx said he had a "heavy, heavy, ...
Former Florida officer Nouman Raja sentenced to 25 years for killing Corey Jones. A former Florida police officer was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison in the on-duty shooting of a black church musician who was stranded on the side of a road after his car broke down. Lannis Waters/Palm Beach Post via AP.
Raja did not speak at the sentencing, but his wife of more than 16 years and the mother of his two young children asked Marx's to show her husband mercy.
Nouman Raja sits with defense attorney Rick King during his sentencing on April 25, 2019. Raja, a former Palm Beach Gardens police officer, was convicted on one count each of manslaughter by culpable negligence and first-degree attempted murder.
Marc Freeman covers Palm Beach County criminal and civil courts for the Sun Sentinel. He previously wrote about K-12 education, local government, and consumer issues. Marc's work has also appeared in The Palm Beach Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and The Patriot-News.
Nouman Raja became the first Florida police officer in three decades to be convicted for an on-duty police shooting. And now he argues his 25-year prison sentence for shooting stranded motorist Corey Jones dead was a mistake. He says the evidence and the jury’s findings can’t possibly support such a punishment.
Former police officer Nouman Raja appears in this photo from the Florida Department of Corrections on May 1, 2019. He is serving a 25-year prison sentence for convictions in the fatal shooting of stranded motorist Corey Jones on Oct. 18, 2015. (Florida Department of Correction / Courtesy)
Raja dutifully followed the strict conditions of house arrest for nearly three years, as he awaited his trial. Now, the former Palm Beach Gardens police officer is a convicted felon facing the next 25 years as Florida prisoner number Q40330.
Marc Freeman covers Palm Beach County criminal and civil courts for the Sun Sentinel. He previously wrote about K-12 education, local government, and consumer issues. Marc's work has also appeared in The Palm Beach Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and The Patriot-News.
Raja was placed on paid administrative leave, as per department policy, prior to being fired. The shooting is being investigated by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
Jones’ car broke down early Sunday morning after he left a music gig at a bar in Jupiter, his Future Prezidents bandmate, Matthew Huntsberger told the Palm Beach Post.
Family: Boynton Beach drummer shot, killed by Palm Beach Gardens officer A Palm Beach Gardens officer shot and killed a man early Sunday morning on the southbound ramp of Interstate 95, but the circumstances of the incident remain unclear. ◂ WPTV NewsChannel 5, Local News Coverage You Can Count On.
Corey Jones, 31, a well-known drummer in south Florida, was fatally shot by a plainclothes police officer after his car broke down on I-95 in Palm Beach Gardens. (Facebook)
The City Attorney’s office is located in the Municipal Building at 201 West Gray Street. Kathryn Walker is the City Attorney. There are four Assistant City Attorneys: Rick Knighton, Jeanne Snider, Elisabeth Muckala, and Anthony Purinton. Administrative support is provided by two legal administrative technicians: Deedra Vice and Sarah Encinias.
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