The fatal shooting happened last October. The victim had recently been released after serving 16 years behind bars for a robbery he did not commit.
A man served 16 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. After his release, he became a motivational speaker. Then he ended up being fatally shot during a traffic stop. Now, his family says they are seeking justice.
Video shows a sheriff’s deputy having just pulled over a driver allegedly going 100 miles an hour and the interaction grew intense right away. The deputy told Leonard Cure to get out of his vehicle. Cure responded saying he was not doing anything.
The deputy tased Cure before the 53-year-old got fatally shot.
The fatal shooting happened last October. The victim had recently been released after serving 16 years behind bars for a robbery he did not commit. His family says he resisted arrest because of psychological trauma from his time behind bars.
Cure’s family filed a $16 million lawsuit against the deputy and the Camden County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia.
“When they killed my child, I died with him,” Cure’s mother, Mary, said. “He took my son’s life and somebody needs to pay for that.”
The family claims wrongful death and excessive force.
“All I want is justice for my brother, justice for my brother. There’s a problem in America with Black men and men of color being killed, and women, indiscriminately,” Cure’s brother, Michael, said.
Attorneys allege the deputy, Buck Aldridge, has a history of excessive force. They referenced another incident Aldridge was involved in that was caught on dashcam video. Following a high-speed chase, Aldridge is accused of punching the driver in the face. He faced no disiplinary action.
“We are overwhelmed and we are outraged, this should not be,” Michael said.
The attorney for the police officer says the video shows he fired in self-defense.
