Deputies of Georgia Sheriff, who were involved in the fatal shooting of a man during a violent 2023 traffic stop, face no criminal charges.
Leonard Cure, 53, was killed just three years after being exonerated for a crime he had not committed following his 16 years in prison.
The district attorney who examined the body camera footage believes the footage shows a staff sergeant. Shocking treatment of Buck Aldridge at Taser after refusing to put his hands behind him so he can be handcuffed. The treatment fights back and places his hand on the lieutenant's throat before Aldridge shoots him at the point blank.
Sheriff is suing a deputy from a black family who was exonerated by a deputy in Georgia
Police dash camera video shows a traffic stop in Camden County, Georgia on Monday, October 16, 2023, including Sheriff's Deputies and Leonard Cure. (Camden County Sheriff's Office via the AP)
“The use of lethal force at that time was objectively reasonable given that he was overwhelmed at the time,” District Attorney Keith Higgins told the Associated Press.
Higgins says he informed Cure's family of his decision during Monday's meeting and also notified Aldridge.
Cure's family lawyers allege that Aldridge used excessive force.
“This decision is a catastrophic failure of justice and we send a message that law enforcement officers can take their lives without consequences,” family lawyers Ben Crump and Harry Daniels said in a statement.
A GA adjutant with a history of violence faces scrutiny after fatally shooting a driver during a traffic stop
This still image from a body camera video from the Deputy Department provided by the Camden County Sheriff's Office shows a staff sergeant. Back Aldridge after tracking and arrest on June 24, 2022. (Camden County Sheriff's Office via the AP)
Cure's relatives stem from his attempts to resist psychological trauma, as they are imprisoned in Florida for an armed robbery he did not commit.
Cure's family lawyers say Aldridge should never have been hired after being fired by the nearby Kingsland Police Station in 2017. Aldridge fell into a third discipline for using excessive force. He was hired nine months later, according to personnel records.
A June 2022 tracking video shows Aldridge punching the driver on his back as he pulls the driver out of a wrecked car. Records show that no disciplinary action was taken against the aide in the incident.
Law enforcement is believed to be providing assistance to Leonard Cure of Camden County, Georgia on Monday, October 16, 2023. (Camden County Sheriff's Office via the AP)
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Cure's family filed a federal lawsuit against U.S. District Court Aldridge and then Sheriff Jim Proctor, seeking $16 million.
The lawsuit accused Aldridge of excessive force and the superintendent of ignoring the history of his lieutenant's violence.
The case is still pending in US District Court.
Landon Mion and the Associated Press of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
