Family hires top lawyer after cop kills church drummer

The family of a Florida church drummer shot dead by a police officer while waiting for help by his broken down car  has hired the lawyer who represents the Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown families, local media reported

TV station WPTV reported Tuesday that the family retained Benjamin Crump, who became a well-known figure in news coverage of the death of Brown in Ferguson, Mo., in August 2014.

The case has become increasingly prominent since the shooting early on Sunday morning. Palm Beach Gardens Police Department says that the dead man, Corey Jones, was armed and confronted the officer, who had stopped to investigate Jones’ car because he thought it was abandoned.

Jones’ family, meanwhile, says that the 31-year-old was a "gentle spirit" who was non-violent.

“Corey Jones was a God-fearing man who dedicated his life to doing the right thing," Jones' family said in a statement Tuesday. "He lived
every moment to the fullest and was an inspiration to many; the kind of son, brother and friend people could only hope for. Rest assured, we are working diligently with our legal team to determine exactly why this plainclothes police officer in an unmarked car would approach Corey."

“We taught him a few things about life and about being a gentleman,” his uncle Kenneth Terry Banks told CBS News. “We really just need to get more information."

And a band mate, Boris Simeonov, told the local Sun Sentinel newspaper that he was in disbelief. "Something seems really wrong here," he said.

The incident occurred, according to local media, after a gig with a band, the Future Prezidents, in Jupiter early on Sunday morning. On his way home to Boynton Beach, Jones’ SUV broke down near an interchange on I-95. He called a bandmate for help, who then called roadside assistance after being unable to get the vehicle started.

In a statement on Facebook, the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department said, "Nouman Raja, on duty in a plain clothes capacity, in an unmarked police vehicle, stopped to investigate what he believed to be an abandoned vehicle. As the officer exited his vehicle, he was suddenly confronted by an armed subject. As a result of the confrontation, the officer discharged his firearm, resulting in the death of the subject."

Thirty-eight-year-old Raja, who joined the force in April, was not wearing a body camera, and none of the department's squad cars are fitted with dashboard cameras.

An aunt, Serena Banks, told the local Palm Beach Post newspaper that she was shocked to hear the police account of how the shooting occurred, saying it “wasn’t in Corey’s character to be confrontational.”

“Anyone that knew Corey knew that he was a very meek person,” she told the paper. “That’s why we don’t understand why anyone would mess with Corey. If he was a bad child, I would say so, but he was a good person with good judgment.”

Banks told the Post that she believed Corey had a gun permit and a gun, but that he would never use it.

The Sun Sentinel reported that police haven't specified what type of weapon Jones had and other details about what led to the shooting haven't been disclosed, pending an investigation.

Meanwhile, local TV station WPTV reported that officials have declined to say whether a gun was found at the scene.

According to the Sun Sentinel, Jones' family is well-known and respected in Boynton Beach, partly because of their involvement with the Bible Church of God, where Jones' grandfather Sylvester Banks is a bishop and Jones was a drummer.

Bob Jarvis, a law professor at Nova Southeastern University, told the paper that the incident may not have occurred had Raja not been in plain clothes and an unmarked patrol car.

Jones may not have known "if someone was approaching to rob or mug him," Jarvis said. In such encounters, it could be that "the person doesn't realize that they're being approached by a cop."

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office is investigating the shooting, the Sun Sentinel reported, and Raja has been placed on paid administrative leave.

Meanwhile, according to WPTV, the president of the Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association is upset with police leaders who, he says, are not being transparent enough about the shooting.

Union president John Kazanjian also told the station that Palm Beach Gardens officers received death threats.

"We don't want another Ferguson," he said. "They need to get out there and address the public...chief, get out there and tell the public what is going on."

Police have declined to do any interviews since the incident, the station reported.

Contributing: Yamiche Alcindor