The family of Leonard Cure, a 53-year-old Black man who was fatally shot by a Georgia sheriff’s deputy during a traffic stop last year, has filed a $16 million lawsuit against the officer involved and against the Camden County Sheriff’s Office. The announcement was made in a press conference that included the family’s attorneys and representatives from the Camden County NAACP.
Leonard Cure, who was exonerated in 2020 after serving 16 years for a wrongful conviction, was killed while driving to visit his mother in Florida last year. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported that the shooting occurred on I-95 in Camden County, near the Florida border, after Cure was stopped for speeding.
According to the GBI, an altercation ensued when Cure did not comply with Staff Sergeant Buck Aldridge’s requests, leading to the use of a Taser, a baton, and ultimately, fatal gunfire by the officer.
The lawsuit brings to light the contentious history of Aldridge, who the Cure family’s lawyers say was previously dismissed from another Georgia police department in 2017 for misconduct during a traffic stop. Additionally, video footage from 2022 has surfaced, showing Aldridge in another controversial arrest, further intensifying scrutiny over his conduct and the Camden County Sheriff’s Office’s record of incidents involving excessive force.
Cure’s wrongful conviction stemmed from a 2003 armed robbery in Dania Beach, Florida. He became the first person exonerated by the Broward State Attorney’s Office Conviction Review Unit, a landmark in his life that underscored systemic issues within the criminal justice system.
Attorneys Ben Crump and Harry Daniels, representing Cure’s family, said the broader implications of Cure’s death illustrate concerns over law enforcement conduct and accountability. “This isn’t some isolated incident. We’re talking about an officer with a long history of brutality and violence within a department with a long history of brutality and violence. They have blood on their hands and it’s time to hold them accountable,” said Daniels.
The Camden County Sheriff’s Office has been the focus of multiple excessive force allegations, including a 2022 incident that resulted in the indictment of former officers for the beating of Jarrett Hobbs, a 41-year-old Black man, at the Camden County Detention Center.
Questions To Consider:
- Should a traffic violation escalate to the point of gunfire?
- At what point should police be authorized to fire their weapons?
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