The Florida police officer who shot and killed a black amateur musician waiting for help alongside a highway after his car broke down last month has been fired, a Palm Beach Gardens spokeswoman said Thursday.
Officer Nouman Raja, 38, had been on administrative leave from the city’s police force following the shooting of Corey Jones on Oct. 18. Jones’ death drew outrage after law enforcement officials revealed the officer was in plainclothes and never showed a badge.
The death of the 31-year-old Jones is the latest fatal incident across the country involving police and black men. It has sparked anger and calls for greater transparency, as local law enforcement officials have been slow releasing details about the Oct. 18 shooting.
Jones was waiting for a tow truck beside a highway off-ramp at 3 a.m. when Raja pulled up in an unmarked van. A confrontation ensued and Raja fired six shots hitting Jones three times, authorities said.
Jones never fired the .380 caliber handgun recovered at the scene, according to the Palm Beach County state attorney’s office. He had a permit allowing him to carry a concealed gun, which he had purchased legally three days earlier.
Raja, who had been hired by the upscale community’s police department in April, had previously been investigating robberies in the area.
Telephone records obtained by the Palm Beach Post newspaper show that Jones had been on a 53-minute phone call with AT&T roadside assistance at the time of the shooting.
Florida police fire officer who fatally shot black musician Corey Jones