FDOC mug shot of Leonard Cure c. 2020
| |
| Date | October 16, 2023 (2023-10-16) |
|---|---|
| Location | Camden County, Georgia, U.S. |
| Type | Police shooting |
| Participants | Cure and a Sheriff Deputy |
| Deaths | Leonard Cure, 53 |
| Inquiries | Georgia Bureau of Investigation |
On October 16, 2023, Leonard Cure, a 53-year-old black American man, was fatally shot during a physical struggle by a sheriff's deputy in Camden County, Georgia, after being pulled over for speeding. Cure had been exonerated in 2020 after being wrongfully convicted of armed robbery in Florida in 2003.[1][2]
Leonard Cure (November 23, 1969[3] – October 16, 2023) was wrongfully convicted of armed robbery in 2003. On November 10, 2003, an armed robbery took place in Dania Beach, Florida, when a man with a revolver forced his way into a Walgreens store. The suspect fled the store with nearly $2,000 in cash. Descriptions of the suspect provided by two store employees did not match. In 2004, a mistrial for Cure was declared after the jury deadlocked. Cure was tried again, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison.[4]
The Florida Innocence Project conducted an investigation and found that an ATM receipt proved Cure had been miles away from the store during the time of the robbery. In April 2020, Cure was exonerated and released from prison.[5] Cure received $817,000 in compensation for his imprisonment. He was the first person to be exonerated by the Broward County Conviction Review Unit.[6]
On Monday, October 16, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m., Cure was observed speeding in a pickup truck on Interstate 95 by a sheriff's deputy in Camden County, Georgia. The deputy pursued Cure and pulled him over. The deputy began shouting at Cure and ordered him to get out of the vehicle. Cure complied with the deputy's commands but was then told he was under arrest. The deputy then ordered Cure to put his hands behind his back, warning him he would be tased if he did not comply. When Cure refused, the deputy tased him.[2][4][7]
While being tased, Cure turned and faced the deputy and began walking towards him while swinging at the deputy and grabbing the taser wire. The two men then engaged in a physical struggle for about 20 seconds, during which Cure grabbed the deputy's face and throat. The deputy struck Cure multiple times with his baton. As the struggle continued, the deputy drew his gun and fired a fatal shot at Cure, causing him to fall to the ground. Paramedics arrived to render aid to Cure but he later died.[2][4][7]
On October 18, the Camden County sheriff's office released body-worn and dash camera videos of the moments leading up to Cure's death.[4][8][9]
Relatives of Cure suspect he resisted arrest because of psychological trauma from spending 16 years imprisoned in Florida for a crime he did not commit. Cure's brother, Michael Cure, said, "I believe there were possibly some issues going on, some mental issues with my brother. I know him quite well. The officer just triggered him, undoubtedly triggered him. It was excitement met with excitement."[10]
On February 27, 2024, Cure's family filed a $16 million federal lawsuit against the sheriff's office and the deputy involved in Cure's death, alleging "excessive and deadly force" against Cure.[11]
