A Florida community is grieving after a local police officer fatally shot 31-year-old Corey Jones, a Black musician and apartment inspector, on the side of a road.
According to police, Jones was on his way home from a show Sunday night when his car broke down on an interstate. While Jones was sitting in the vehicle, plainclothes Officer Nouman Raja drove up in an unmarked cruiser, believing that the car was abandoned,
Raja’s statement says that as he approached Jones’ car, Jones exited the vehicle and was armed with an unspecified weapon. It is unclear how the interaction escalated, but the alleged confrontation ended with Raja firing his gun, fatally striking Jones. No additional details have been provided. There is no word whether a gun was recovered at the scene, but Jones’ aunt told reporters that her nephew had a gun permit and owned a firearm.
Residents of the Palm Beach community are demanding transparency in the police investigation. Raja is currently on routine administrative leave, required of any officer who discharges his firearm while on duty.