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Killing of Corey Jones

SOLVED2015I-95 exit ramp at PGA Boulevard, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026

Documents violence — written to inform, not to shock.

Illustrative

Corey Jones, 31, was killed in the early hours of October 18, 2015, while waiting for a tow truck beside his disabled Hyundai Santa Fe on the southbound Interstate 95 exit ramp at PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Jones had been driving home to Boynton Beach after performing with his band, Future Prezidents, at a venue in Jupiter, Florida. After his car broke down, he called his brother, a bandmate, and roadside assistance, and was on the phone with AT&T roadside assistance when he was approached by Nouman K. Raja, a Palm Beach Gardens police officer working undercover burglary surveillance in plainclothes and an unmarked white van.

Raja fired six shots within seconds of the encounter, striking Jones three times; one bullet passed through Jones' aorta and caused his death. Jones' body was found 80–100 feet from his vehicle, suggesting he had run. A .380-caliber handgun that Jones had purchased three days earlier and for which he held a concealed carry license was found on the ground between his body and car; it had not been fired. Raja was not wearing a body camera and his van lacked a dashcam. He initially told investigators he had identified himself as a police officer and acted in self-defense, but an audio recording of the AT&T roadside assistance call later contradicted both claims, showing Raja never identified himself as police and that his final shot was fired 33 seconds before he called 911.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, assisted by the FBI, conducted an independent investigation. On June 1, 2016, a grand jury charged Raja with manslaughter by culpable negligence and attempted first-degree murder with a firearm; Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg stated the grand jury found no justification for the shooting. Raja was arrested, released on $250,000 bond, and placed under house arrest with GPS monitoring pending trial. In January 2017, investigators released more than 3,000 pages of documents and 50 video and audio recordings in response to public records requests. In January 2018, Raja's defense attorneys moved to dismiss the charges citing Florida's "stand your ground" law, claiming Jones drew and pointed a gun at Raja; prosecutors' evidence disputed this account.

Following an eight-day jury trial, Raja was convicted on both counts on March 7, 2019, and was sentenced on April 25, 2019, to 25 years in prison. He was reportedly the first Florida police officer in 30 years convicted in connection with an on-duty shooting. Jones' family, represented by attorneys Benjamin Crump and Daryl D. Parks, filed a wrongful death civil suit against the City of Palm Beach Gardens and Raja in July 2016; the suit concluded in February 2023 with a $2,000,000 settlement. Jones was later commemorated in a Super Bowl LIV commercial in February 2020 sponsored by the Players Coalition.

Key facts

Victims
Corey Jones
Date
2015
Location
I-95 exit ramp at PGA Boulevard, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2015-10-18

    Corey Jones is fatally shot by plainclothes police officer Nouman Raja while waiting for roadside assistance near his disabled car in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

  2. 2015-10-31

    Funeral held for Corey Jones at Payne Chapel AME Church in West Palm Beach.

  3. 2015-11-11

    Raja's employment with the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department and Palm Beach State College is terminated.

  4. 2016-06-01

    A grand jury charges Raja with manslaughter by culpable negligence and attempted first-degree murder with a firearm.

  5. 2016-07-06

    Jones' family files a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Palm Beach Gardens and Raja.

  6. 2017-01-17

    Investigators release thousands of pages of documents and recordings, including audio contradicting Raja's account.

  7. 2018-01-18

    Raja's defense files a motion to dismiss charges citing Florida's stand your ground law.

  8. 2019-03-07

    Raja is found guilty of manslaughter by culpable negligence and attempted first-degree murder with a firearm after an eight-day jury trial.

  9. 2019-04-25

    Raja is sentenced to 25 years in prison.

  10. 2020-02-02

    Corey Jones' death is featured in a Super Bowl LIV commercial sponsored by the Players Coalition.

  11. 2023-02-23

    The wrongful death civil suit concludes with a $2,000,000 settlement.

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People

  • Nouman K. Raja

    CONVICTED

    Former Palm Beach Gardens police officer convicted of manslaughter by culpable negligence and attempted first-degree murder with a firearm; sentenced to 25 years in prison.

    citation on file

  • Corey Jones

    VICTIM

    31-year-old housing authority employee and part-time musician fatally shot by a police officer while waiting for roadside assistance.

    citation on file

Places

Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Corey Jones, a 31-year-old drummer and housing authority employee, was fatally shot by an off-duty-dressed plainclothes police officer while waiting for roadside assistance near his disabled car in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, in October 2015. Officer Nouman Raja was later convicted of manslaughter and attempted first-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Where did the killing happen?
I-95 exit ramp at PGA Boulevard, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Who was convicted?
Nouman K. Raja (Former Palm Beach Gardens police officer convicted of manslaughter by culpable negligence and attempted first-degree murder with a firearm; sentenced to 25 years in prison.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.

Sources

  1. Killing of Corey Joneswikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. Contemporaneous coverage — The New York Timesnews · The New York Times · 2026-07-07
  3. Contemporaneous coverage — CNNnews · CNN · 2026-07-07