Former cop who fatally shot beloved musician Corey Jones sentenced to 25 years

Former Florida police officer Nouman Raja, convicted in the fatal shooting of stranded motorist Corey Jones, was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison.

Former police officer Nouman Raja Sentenced

Raja was found guilty of manslaughter by culpable negligence and attempted first-degree murder by causing the death of Jones by firing shots in the early morning in Palm Beach Gardens.

“This has been a heartbreaking case,” Circuit Judge Joseph Marx said.

“I think it has had a profound effect on every single person that has sat through this trial.”

Fatal shooting

Jones, 31, was fatally shot after a plain-clothed Raja interrupted his patrol for car burglaries to confront Jones on a highway exit-ramp who was waiting for help for his broken-down SUV.

Jones, a beloved musician, was returning home from a nightclub performance early on the morning of Oct. 18, 2015, when his SUV broke down on an off-ramp of Interstate 95.

He had drums valued at $10,000 in the back of his car and pulled out his legally owned handgun because he feared he was being robbed, prosecutors said.

Raja was on duty but in plainclothes for the Palm Beach Gardens police and driving an unmarked white van but he had never identified himself, according to an audio recording played at the trial.

Raja was wearing jeans, a T-shirt and a baseball cap because he was investigating auto burglaries. His sergeant testified at a hearing that he told Raja to wear a vest marked “police” if he confronted anyone, but the vest was found inside the unmarked van.

Raja shot Jones repeatedly. A medical examiner testified that Jones was killed by a shot through his heart. The musician, who also worked as a housing inspector, was also shot once in each arm.

Raja was fired less than a month after the shooting, and he was charged in 2016.

The manslaughter count was punishable by up to 30 years. The attempted murder count was punishable by a minimum of 25 years to life.

The verdict is a turning point in a battle against racial injustice and holding police accountable for misconduct.

Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who represents Jones’ family, said that the case offered something rare for communities of color.

“With the sentencing today, it’s a footnote in American jurisprudence but based on the fact that this is the first time in over 30 years that a police officer has been convicted for killing a black person in the state of Florida. It is a milestone for many black Americans,” Crump said. “Not only in Florida, but all across the United States.”