The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Florida officer found guilty in death of black motorist WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A fired Florida police officer was found guilty of manslaughter and attempted murder Thursday for fatally shooting a stranded black motorist, becoming the first officer in the
The verdict
The four-man, two-woman jury deliberated for about four hours. Nouman Raja, 41, did not react as the verdict was read.
About 25 relatives and supporters of the victim, Corey Jones, 31, looked on, some weeping quietly. One said “the sweetest sound was the click of those handcuffs” after Raja was led from the courtroom.
Then they held a prayer circle outside the courtroom, shouting praise to God and Jesus for the verdict as many broke down in sobs. A housing inspector and part-time drummer, Jones came from a family of Christian ministers and was scheduled to perform at church the morning he was killed.
“Corey has been here — his soul is not here but he is definitely here in our hearts,” said C.J. Jones, the victim’s brother and a former National Football League player, primarily with the Cleveland Browns. “He walked us through this.”
Why it matters
Prosecutors said Raja, one of very few police officers across the nation to be convicted of an on-duty shooting, escalated what should have been a routine interaction into a deadly confrontation.
Prosecutors charged Raja with manslaughter because they believed his actions created the confrontation and showed “culpable negligence,” meaning a “reckless disregard” or “conscious indifference” for Jones’ life. They also charged him with attempted first-degree murder because they believed that while they couldn’t prove beyond a reasonable doubt which of the six shots killed him, the second volley was a conscious effort to kill Jones as he ran away.
The trial
An eight-day trial focused on the tragic encounter, recorded on audio, at 3:15 a.m. Oct. 18, 2015, in a Palm Beach Gardens highway off-ramp.
Prosecutors argued that Raja, 41, needed to be held accountable for his reckless, aggressive actions that resulted in the killing of a musician whose SUV broke down after a Saturday night gig with his band.
They cast Raja as a liar and “disgrace” to all good police officers. They accused him of “staging” parts of the confrontation for investigators in an attempt to escape blame for never identifying himself as a cop and “hunting” Jones like a deer.
While agreeing Jones’ death was a terrible tragedy, the defense said it wasn’t a crime because Raja had to shoot after seeing Jones raise a loaded gun after offering police assistance.
“He had a gun pointed at him,” attorney Richard Lubin said. “He didn’t make that up.”
What’s next
Raja faces a maximum sentence of life in prison at a sentencing hearing scheduled for April 26.