A Georgia sheriff’s deputy fatally shot Leonard Allan Cure, a Black man who had been exonerated after serving 16 years in prison for an armed robbery conviction. The incident occurred during a traffic stop on Interstate 95 in Camden County, near the Florida border. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) reported that an altercation took place after the officer pulled over Cure for speeding. Despite attempts to subdue Cure with a Taser and baton, the deputy shot him. Cure was pronounced dead after paramedics’ attempts to save him failed.
The incident occurred almost two decades after Cure was arrested for armed robbery and assault at a Florida Walgreens. He was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. However, in 2020, a review panel exonerated him, and his convictions were vacated.
The GBI stated that the deputy had informed Cure of his arrest, but Cure resisted and assaulted the officer. The deputy’s identity has not been disclosed, and it remains uncertain whether there is body camera footage of the incident.
The incident adds to the growing list of high-profile killings of Black men during traffic stops, raising concerns about the potential for violence during such encounters. A 2020 study revealed that Black motorists in the U.S. are 20% more likely to be stopped by police and searched more frequently than white drivers, despite being less likely to carry illegal contraband.
Cure had requested a re-investigation of his case in 2019, leading to his exoneration in 2020. He was the first person to be exonerated by Broward’s review unit. At the time of his death, Cure was on his way to visit his mother in Florida.
Read more at Reuters.
