Exonerated man shot and killed in traffic stop in Georgia
- Published
Leonard Cure speaking to a group of high school students in Georgia in October
A man who was exonerated after spending more than 16 years in prison on a wrongful conviction was shot and killed by a Georgia sheriff's deputy on Monday.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Leonard Allen Cure was shot during a traffic stop.
Cure, 53, grew defiant during his arrest and assaulted the deputy, according to a press release.
Emergency medical personnel attempted to treat Cure, but he later died.
"I can only imagine what it's like to know your son is innocent and watch him be sentenced to life in prison, to be exonerated and ... then be told that once he's been freed, he's been shot dead," Seth Miller, executive director of the Innocence Project of Florida, which represented Cure in his exoneration case, told the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's media partner CBS.
Cure's family confirmed his death to Mr Miller.
A Camden County deputy stopped Cure as he drove along Interstate 95 near the Georgia-Florida line on Monday morning, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).
Cure got out of the car at the deputy's direction, but when he learned he was under arrest he stopped complying with the deputy's requests.
The deputy used his Taser on Cure, who in turn assaulted the deputy. The deputy again used his Taser, and then hit Cure with a baton before pulling out his gun and shooting, according to GBI.
Police have not provided details about the charges for which Cure was being arrested.
Cure was sentenced to life in prison in 2004, after being convicted of armed robbery with a firearm and aggravated assault with a firearm in Dania Beach, Florida.
There were problems with Cure's case from the start, a conviction review team and an independent panel of local attorneys found, including a disregarded alibi that placed Cure roughly 3 miles (4.8km) away from the scene of the crime at the time of the robbery.
Cure became the first man to be exonerated by the Broward Conviction Review Unit.
He was released from prison in April 2020 and Broward Circuit Judge John J Murphy III signed an order exonerating him later that year.
Florida Gov Ron DeSantis approved a claims bill awarding Cure with $817,000 (£670,144) and educational benefits last June.
He received his check in early August, according to Mr Miller.
According to a statement from a Florida state attorney obtained by , Cure "was hoping to go to college and wanted to work in broadcast radio production".
The Camden County Sheriff's Office has asked GBI to conduct an independent investigation. Once complete, the agency said it will submit its findings to the district attorney for review.