A plainclothes police officer fatally shot a black man stranded with car trouble
A plainclothes police officer fatally shot a 31-year-old black man after car troubles left him stranded on a highway ramp in Florida early Sunday morning, the Palm Beach Post reports. Palm Beach Gardens officer Nouman Raja left his unmarked car to investigate Corey Jones' vehicle, which he had thought was abandoned, and shot Jones after being "suddenly confronted," according to a police department statement Monday.
Jones, a well-known local drummer, was "armed," according to the statement, which did not specify a weapon. Several friends and family members of Jones are looking for more information from authorities, saying they didn't know Jones to carry firearms.
"He was like a really peaceful guy," Jones' bandmate Mathew Huntsberger told the Post. "There's no way he had a gun."
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The police department put Raja, who was on duty at the time, on paid administrative leave. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident, the latest to come under scrutiny as protesters nationwide draw attention to instances of police brutality against black people.
