The FBI has joined the investigation into the police shooting death of church drummer Corey Jones on Oct. 18.
The cop, Palm Beach Gardens police officer Nouman Raja, was placed on paid administrative leave until the investigation into Jones’ murder is complete.
Raja, an undercover cop in plainclothes, was patrolling a majority white area of Palm Beach when he came upon what he said was an abandoned vehicle parked at an entrance ramp to I-95.
Jones was waiting at his car for a tow truck when Raja drove up in an unmarked white van.
Raja told investigators he stepped out of the van and he was immediately attacked by an armed male. Raja fired his service weapon six times. Jones was hit 3 times in the back. He died at the scene.
According to local media, Jones had expensive set of drums and other musical equipment in his car.
According to Jones’ family, the cop — who wore a white tee, jeans and a baseball cap — approached Jones unannounced.
Jones was armed with a Glock handgun which he purchased just 3 days before. He had a license to carry a concealed weapon.
He did everything right, and now he’s dead.
Jones’ body was found 80-100 yards from the vehicle. An indication, says his attorney Ben Crump, that he fled for his life and was gunned down.
Raja was only on the police force for 6 months. It will be interesting to see if he was a rookie cop or a loose cannon who was dismissed from his previous position.
As one journalist put it: the casual use of undercover cops are police murders waiting to happen.
“How far away from Raja was Jones when Raja fired? We’ll have to wait to learn that. If it was at some distance, we have a clear case of murder by cop: shooting a fleeing suspect.”
