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Protesters Rally And Demand "Justice For Corey"

Nadege Green
/
WLRN
Protesters outside the Palm Beach Gardens police station demand answers in the death of Corey Jones, who was shot by a plainclothes police officer.

Family, friends and activists gathered outside of the Palm Beach Gardens police station Thursday to remember Corey Jones.

Jones, 31, was killed by a Palm Beach Gardens officer Sunday while he waited for a tow-truck to help him with his disabled car.

Police say officer Nouman Raja,  a detective who was working a robbery detail  in plain clothes early that morning, thought the car was abandoned and was suddenly "confronted" by Jones.

Benjamin Crump, the family's attorney, said Jones likely believed he was about to get robbed and that the officer did not display a badge. Jones' legal firearm was found at the scene,  but Crump said Jones did not fire his gun.

While the investigation is under way, those who attended the rally reflected on Jones' life and that of other black men who have lost their lives to police officers.

Here are some snippets of the rally and what protesters had to say:

Fix It Jesus

Corey Jones was a musician who grew up in the church. His is a deeply devout family and at times, the rally turned into something of an impromptu church service punctuated with "Amens!"

#JusticeForCorey rally pic.twitter.com/E4sbWEs6Kc — Nadege C. Green (@NadegeGreen) October 22, 2015

Another One

William Foman said black men dying at the hands of  police officers is happening too often. He worries the frequency of these killings may numb people and desensitize them to what he called an urgent problem.

Referring to Jones, Foman said, "He did nothing more than pull over on the side of the road and then end up with bullets in him. Dead."

William says he's angry. Angry that again there's another one: a black man killed by police. #CoreyJones @WLRN pic.twitter.com/7rMlfCNYtw — Nadege C. Green (@NadegeGreen) October 22, 2015

A Painful Lesson

Nearby his wife Dena Foman stood  with their son.  "He thinks he's safe," she said.  The Fomans brought their son to the Corey Jones rally to show him that he is not safe. It's a painful lesson for any mom to teach her mixed-race son, Dena Foman said.

"He needs to know that there are dangers for him out there," said Dena Foman.

Being Victimized By Police

Anne Pierre didn't know Corey Jones personally. She said she came to the rally because he could have been her son. Pierre said she is grieving with Jones' family, and that the whole community should be grieving.

#Anne Piere says #CoreyJones was not my son; he is our son. The son of our community. #JusticeForCorey @wlrn pic.twitter.com/2wzW6QmiIZ — Nadege C. Green (@NadegeGreen) October 22, 2015

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