Florida officer to be sentenced for killing black motorist
Courtesy: WSVN
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - For the first time in nearly 30 years, a Florida police officer is set to be sentenced to prison for an on-duty fatal shooting.
Former Palm Beach Gardens officer Nouman Raja faces a minimum of 25 years and could get a life sentence Thursday for the 2015 shooting of 31-year-old Corey Jones.
Raja was convicted last month of manslaughter and attempted murder for Jones' death. The 41-year-old was in plain clothes and driving an unmarked van when he confronted Jones, a black drummer whose SUV had broken down as he returned from a late-night performance.
Prosecutors persuaded jurors that Raja never identified himself as a police officer and acted aggressively, causing Jones to pull his legal handgun thinking he was being robbed. The altercation was audio recorded by a tow-truck dispatcher Jones had been talking with.