The attorney representing the family of Leonard Cure, who a Georgia deputy fatally shot during a traffic stop, claimed on Friday that Cure was “triggered” by law enforcement before the struggle that preceded his death on October 16.
Cure was fatally shot by a Camden County Sheriff’s deputy last week when he refused to cooperate with the deputy after being pulled over for allegedly driving more than 100 miles per hour. Video released by the Camden County Sheriff’s office reveals that, after being tased, a struggle ensued between the deputy and Cure. It continued despite the deputy deploying his baton and striking Cure, and only ended when the deputy removed his pistol and appeared to fire once into Cure’s abdomen.
Crump, who netted millions for the family of George Floyd through legal actions, said the deputy’s actions “triggered” Cure, while the family initially seemed to blame undiagnosed mental illness or psychological trauma sustained during Cure’s 16-year incarceration for a crime he did not commit for his behavior in video released by the Camden County Sheriff’s Office.
“It is just a tragic situation that there wasn’t an attempt to deescalate the matter from the beginning by the law enforcement officer,” said Crump, according to Georgia Public Broadcasting. Crump also claimed parts of the video were “very troubling from both perspectives.”
Ultimately, Crump said the deputy uttering the words “you’re going to be arrested and go to jail” are what “triggered” Cure in the moments that preceded his death, according to Crump.
Members of the Cure family joined Crump in demanding justice for Cure.
“I hate Georgia,” declared Cure’s mother Mary, reported WSB-TV. “Sorry, but this is my baby,” she added. “I want justice for him.”
Cure’s brother, Michael, previously said the deputy “undoubtedly triggered” him during the incident and acknowledged his brother “possibly” had “mental issues” before his death. According to Georgia Public Broadcasting, he now claims his brother was “quite compliant” until being tased by the deputy.
“And my brother was compliant,” said Michael Cure. “There was no attempt to deescalate — none whatsoever. When he tased him, that exacerbated the situation and my brother did turn and get a bit physical.”
Another brother, Wallace Cure, added that he’s “seen up-close confrontations between citizens and law enforcement that didn’t result in a person being killed.”
The deputy who shot Cure was placed on administrative suspension while the circumstances of the death were reviewed, which is standard procedure for the sheriff’s office. The deputy has not been officially named, and the district attorney will not determine whether he should be charged until investigators complete their work.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Georgia Star News and a reporter for the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Ben Crump” by Tony Webster. CC BY-SA 2.0.
