Man is discharged by a police officer in the middle of a confrontation when he searched him
Leonard Allen Cure, leaves a controversial story about what happened throughout his life with the judicial authorities
A man who spent more than 16 years behind bars in Florida for a crime he did not commit was tragically shot to death Monday in Georgia by a sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop, authorities said.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is conducting a thorough review of the incident, identified the victim as 53-year-old Leonard Allen Cure.
Leonard Cure, who was of African American descent, had been convicted in 2003 of an armed robbery at a pharmacy in Dania Beach. Once convicted, Cure faced a life sentence due to his prior criminal history, which included robberies and other criminal acts. His conviction was based on the verdict of a second jury, since the first had not reached an agreement.
The tragic incident unfolded during a traffic stop near Interstate 95, near the Georgia-Florida border, when a Camden County deputy stopped Cure for speeding. In a video recorded with the police vehicle's dashboard camera, the officer can be seen ordering Cure out of his truck.
Cure is initially cooperative but becomes violent after being informed of his arrest. Preliminary information suggests the officer used a stun gun to subdue Cure when he refused to obey commands and began attacking the officer.
Body camera footage reveals Cure grabbed the officer by the neck, leading to a physical confrontation. During the struggle, the officer pulled his gun and shot Cure.
Camden County Sheriff Jim Proctor stated on social media that videos of Cure's traffic violation before the incident with the officer would be made public. The Sheriff's Office stated that they were committed to transparency and providing details about how the situation escalated to the lethal use of force.
Leonard Cure was released from prison in April 2020 after the Broward State Attorney's Office's new Conviction Review Unit requested his release. The unit found "troubling revelations" suggesting that Cure had a solid alibi that had previously been overlooked, and that there was no solid physical evidence or reliable witnesses linking him to the crime.
In December 2020, a judge overturned his conviction and sentence. In June 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a law that awarded Cure $817,000 in compensation for his conviction and prison time, as well as educational benefits.
Benjamin Crump, who is currently representing Leonard Cure's family, has noted that the video shows an aggressive officer who could have used more effective tactics to de-escalate the confrontation. In response to the tragic incident, the sheriff has suspended the officer involved while the Georgia Bureau of Investigation conducts its review, a standard procedure when shootings involving law enforcement officers occur in Georgia.
The agency's findings will be presented to Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Keith Higgins, who will determine whether charges will be filed in connection with the shooting.