Was It Justified? The Officer-Involved Shooting of Leonard Allan Cure

Updated: October 18, 2023 BY Larry Z

Dash Cam Footage Released?

JUST IN: The Camden County Sheriff's Office in GA has released the Oct. 16 dashcam footage of the police shooting of Leonard Cure. In the video you can see Cure resist arrest multiple times and choke the deputy.

Do you believe the officer was justified? pic.twitter.com/kAVGYviKdi
— Eric Spracklen🇺🇸 (@EricSpracklen) October 18, 2023

Camden County, GA – In a move to demonstrate transparency, Camden County Sheriff Jim Proctor, District Attorney Keith Higgins of the Brunswick Judicial Circuit, and agents from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) have unveiled patrol car and body camera footage from a deputy-involved shooting that transpired on October 16th on Interstate 95.

The videos disclose the chain of events that unfolded on Monday morning.

Among the released footage, the dash camera captures a truck darting at speeds surpassing 100 mph, with clear signs of reckless driving.

Concurrently, the body camera donned by the deputy showcases the ensuing confrontation and subsequent use of force.

The public can access these videos (see above). It’s essential to note that the content carries an age restriction.

Leonard Allan Cure: The Man Behind the Incident

Leonard Allan Cure puts his hands on the truck. — (*Photo: Camden County Sheriff*)

Media outlets have begun to shed light on Leonard Cure, the individual who met an end in the incident. Cure endured over 16 years behind bars in Florida due to a wrongful conviction, as NPR reported.

While in prison, Cure fought for his freedom, eventually achieving his release merely three years ago. On Monday, as he was journeying back home from a visit to his mother, his life was cut short.

As per the GBI’s accounts, Cure was stopped near the Florida border in Camden County by a sheriff’s deputy around 7:30 a.m. The GBI is currently spearheading an independent inquiry into the shooting.

Reacting to the event, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, now representing Cure’s family, remarked at a news conference on Wednesday,

“It is god awful that he would escape that injustice to have his life claimed by more bias,” said Crump.

He further emphasized, “Just because you’re Black should not be the determining factor whether you get a death sentence for a traffic stop.”

Was It Justified?

While the investigation is ongoing, it seems the entire Internet is weighing in on the shooting.

Based on the available facts and evidence, do you believe the shooting of Mr. Cure was justified? Do you think race played a role in the death of Mr. Cure, as Mr. Crump alleges?

What lessons can the public draw from this unfortunate incident?

Please let us know in the comment section.

*** Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! All Local Sales are FREE! ***

Related Tags: Buzz, News

bfi December 18, 2023, 7:47 pm

Assault a cop, die of lead poisoning. Open and shut. Simple as that. Dude was obviously high as a kite, and would have had no compunction killing the cop if he could have. Good riddance. Better world without this complete loser.

↩ ∞
Scott November 17, 2023, 5:39 pm

The guy knew he was speeding. Should have taken the ticket. But anytime you are choking a cop, expect to get shot. Especially one-on-one.

↩ ∞
D. Dunn November 6, 2023, 2:41 am

Sgt. in Charge of Training and Personnel, & SWAT:
Shooting was justified, but probably could have been prevented with proper tactics.
Traffic stops, approach on the passenger side for protection from traffic, a position of cover, and visual of who or what is in the vehicle that may cause you concern.
When a driver immediately exists the vehicle you immediately take a position of cover behind your open door, or passenger side of your vehicle. Until you have control over the vehicle (any others inside), and the driver with verbal commands.
You do not approach a voice commands, non complaint driver. You call for back up and order the driver back into his vehicle. Maintain a cover and safe distance awaiting your back up. Then and only then do you use force, IF and WHEN the driver (or passengers) continue to approach your position ignoring your commands. Taser and baton is useless at that close distance as you see.

JMO.

↩ ∞
Evagelos P Drinis November 5, 2023, 6:27 am

Abolish all police then we will not have these type of discussions. The police will take our weapons and freedoms if ordered by the despots.

↩ ∞
1SGT Wriggs US ARMY(Ret) October 29, 2023, 10:24 pm

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

↩ ∞
Cook October 29, 2023, 5:22 pm

1000% justified. The place to voice your disagreement is in the court not on the street

↩ ∞
ejharbet October 28, 2023, 8:03 am

shouldn’t even be a question.
dashcams bodycams I love them. Mr cure decided he didn’t want to live. unfortunately the officer will carry the scar of having to kill. but cure cured himself

↩ ∞
thomas laccabue October 27, 2023, 5:14 pm

You bet it was justified, the only question I have is why the officer waited as long as he did to give the offender what he asked for!!!!

↩ ∞
Renaye Brown October 24, 2023, 8:25 pm

I can’t comment intelligently about the cop’s training, but I can comment on when I hear gaslighting that is intended to distract authority. It often means an intetion NOT to comply is coming. Officers need to be taught to identify it and know it for what it is. Violent men and women tend to deploy it a lot in order to ratchet things up.

↩ ∞
Lewis W Shirley October 23, 2023, 10:37 am

If he had cooperated with the officer it all could have been avoided. it seems to me the younger generation is being taught to not cooperate with law enforcement and that is sooooo sad.

↩ ∞
Tom Thomas October 23, 2023, 9:01 am

“Based on the available facts and evidence, do you believe the shooting of Mr. Cure was justified?” -YES
“Do you think race played a role in the death of Mr. Cure, as Mr. Crump alleges?” -Had to rewatch the video…at first I thought he was white, but I was wrong. Going to go with NO on that one.
“What lessons can the public draw from this unfortunate incident?” -You have to ask? Let’s see, comply with directions, don’t choke officer, be nice. Did I miss any?

↩ ∞
grifhunter October 22, 2023, 10:30 pm

When keepin’ it real goes bad…..!

↩ ∞
Joseph Zazick October 22, 2023, 12:57 pm

Absolutely justified. He attacked the officer and by the way the officer was breathing you could tell that the attack hurt him. There was nothing in the video I saw that had anything to do with race.

↩ ∞
Rock October 22, 2023, 10:47 am

Badda Bing badda BOOM . . . play stupid games win stupid prizes. Mr Cure made his choice.

↩ ∞
Kenneth Cobbs October 21, 2023, 6:08 pm

Regardless of the asalants skin color, was speeding and not complying with the officers commands, resisting arrest. I would hope that the officers is ok from this. And yes I would say the officer was justified. We all should feel bad for family but not the offender.

↩ ∞
Hondo October 21, 2023, 4:49 pm

Seems like the cop came in hot and escalated the situation, I do believe he needs further training on how to deal with the public at large, the outcome was predetermined with his attitude.

↩ ∞
- Grumpy Old Biker October 30, 2023, 1:44 pm
  
  Hondo is a a snowflake whining apologist. What happened to Cure years ago was a tragedy but it had nothing to do with his reckless driving and willful refusal to be arrested. Hondo is an idiot. Place the blame where it belongs, tool.
  
  ↩ ∞
Jim October 21, 2023, 2:15 pm

I may be the only one to say that the cop did many things wrong, and failed to subdue the suspect without firing his weapon. Yes, he did try to strangle the cop. We cannot put aside the fact that the cop failed to use non-lethal force before the suspect got his hands on the cop.

Why didn’t the cop tase him as soon as the guy turned toward him and started slapping his arms around? The cop let him get way too close, and missed his opportunity to subdue the suspect without injury.

As almost always seems to be the case, if the driver had simply followed initial instructions, he would be alive today. However, failing to follow those instructions should not result in death. His taser was available, and never used.

The cop may not be found guilty of any crime. If he is not, he should spend the rest of his career behind a desk. He is unfit for combative service.

↩ ∞
- Grandpa Chuckie October 22, 2023, 8:33 am
  
  If you listen to the video, the cop DOES use non lethal force, the taser. The cop had the taser going for some time, hence the suspect swings his arms to pull the wires off him. The taser had no effect on the suspect. And if you watch closely, you can see the officer throw the taser and then reaches for his gun while in the struggle.
  
  ↩ ∞
  - jim October 22, 2023, 1:02 pm
    
    Thank you for the clarification. Based on comments, I am not the only one who missed the tasing. While that changes everything around the outcome, I still do not believe the officer sets a good example for other officers. His very loud and combative manner may have contributed to the outcome.
    
    Virtually all similar events would be avoided if the suspect would simply follow lawful orders. Bad attitudes lead to bad endings.
    
    ↩ ∞
SGT-ADA October 21, 2023, 10:15 am

Justified. The driver went out of his way to both disobey and antagonize the officer. The driver, moreover, physically assaulted the officer and nearly pushed him into the traffic. As far as I heard, the officer never used any racial slurs regarding the driver. Why do these shootings always tend to follow the same script (failure to follow instructions and physical resistance)? If you’re a minority citizen and don’t want to get shot, you shouldn’t argue, and more importantly, you shouldn’t ever touch the officer. If you think that the officer is wrong, you can fight the ticket in court.

↩ ∞
Bry October 20, 2023, 10:21 pm

Yes the shooting was both fine and avoidable. All the Driver had to do is follow the instructions the Deputy was giving. Instead, the Driver was verbally resisting and then physically resisting the Deputy. This incident was completely avoidable by firstly not driving 100+ mph and secondly not resisting arrest with violence which lead to the deadly consequences for his actions!

↩ ∞
FirstStateMark October 20, 2023, 10:01 pm

You bet your ass it was justified.

↩ ∞
bobg October 20, 2023, 8:31 pm

His attitude beside the fact, he CLEARLY, both verbally AND PHYSICALLY resisted his arrest. Once the physical assault began, his pushing the officer’s head back and hyper-extending it is more than enough indication that this was a physically life-threatening situation. There could have been little doubt in the officer’s mind what the outcome would have been if the subject had had gained control over the officer. The shooting is justified!
BTW: Kudo’s to the Brinks armored car crew who, witnessing the incident as they passed by, pulled over and backed up the shoulder to render assistance.

↩ ∞
Robert Cooke October 20, 2023, 7:49 pm

No one is permitted to refuse lawful police directions. When acted aggressively toward the officer he opened himself to what happened. Officers have the absolute right to defend themselves. When Cure put his hands on the officers throat he lost any claims to unjust force.

↩ ∞
Clint W. October 20, 2023, 7:13 pm

Not defending the victim, but the officer was antagonistic the whole time and never attempted to defuse the escalating situation. The law expects you to stay in your car until to do otherwise. The driver window was up, (when he opens the door, you can see the tree line in the distance distorting through the glass)the traffic roaring by, and I can see that Cure may not have heard the officers order to exit the first couple times until he got nearer to him. The officer also arrested him and did not tell him why until he asked. Everything went south here, and I think the officer was a major player in why it did. We all know that you don’t argue with the law at a traffic stop, you go to court where you may face a fine or a trial, but you won’t end up dead along the highway.

↩ ∞
W October 20, 2023, 6:42 pm

Did he fight the officer because he was born black? I never saw the racism but, I did see a man attempt to fight and overtake an officer.

↩ ∞
anthony keller October 20, 2023, 6:33 pm

I find the Crump attorney out of line as usual in these cases. Always blaming the other side for the actions of criminal behavior on their clients part. This has nothing to do with bias or skin color. If someone is choking me I will defend myself by any means necessary. This dipstick has plenty of chances to comply but refused. If He was white he would now be just as dead.

↩ ∞
Smitty October 20, 2023, 6:22 pm

Justified…unfortunately.

↩ ∞
mrflorida October 20, 2023, 4:43 pm

Its not color it behavior ANYONE that acts like that around a cop is risking their life.

↩ ∞
James October 20, 2023, 3:07 pm

Based on only what was shown in the dashcam video, I’d say it was justified. A, to me, the man appeared to be under the influence of something from the moment he got out of the truck. B, He was given very clear and simple instructions to follow that had he followed, would have prevented this ending in death.

↩ ∞
Lives in the South October 20, 2023, 3:03 pm

Escalated by a Racist Cop
And then Murdered the Black Guy after the poor Black Guy knew he was going to be killed and tried to defend himself.
Cop needs to go to prison for a Hate crime and 1st degree murder.

↩ ∞
- JR Hutto October 23, 2023, 8:23 am
  
  Your post is the most racist and biased screed I’ve seen. You must be related to the race baiter, Ben Crump is all I can say.
  
  ↩ ∞
- bfi December 18, 2023, 7:53 pm
  
  I think this guy is just a Chinese plant trying to stir things up. Nobody is actually this screwy in real life.
  
  ↩ ∞
Mike in a Truck October 20, 2023, 2:50 pm

Gee I’m weird. Someone is choking me. I won’t let him choke me for long. It’s one of my character flaws.

↩ ∞
Johnny M. Brown October 20, 2023, 2:47 pm

When you are stopped by a police officer, do as he says immediately. Do NOT try to persuade him with your loud talking or with fists. He has all of the options in his favor. Plus, he wants to go home that night as much, if not more, than you. Mr. Cure forgot everything he had learned in prison, and as a human driver who was going 100 miles an hour on the highway. Did he forget about the safety of everyone else?? It appears he held no regard for other’s safety at all. The policeman didn’t pull his gun until Mr. Cure attacked him and held him by the throat. The policeman did what he HAD to do to be able to go home that evening. I side with the policeman 100%!!!

↩ ∞
Kenny Kirkland October 20, 2023, 2:36 pm

One word, comply. When confronted by law enforcement, compliance is essential it doesn’t matter what color you are.

↩ ∞
Big Al 45 October 20, 2023, 2:33 pm

Being ‘Black’ wasn’t what got him killed, resisting did.

↩ ∞
Sean October 20, 2023, 2:27 pm

This looks justified. The thing that scares me is the attitude of everyone here. I am beginning to understand why the gun grabbers hate us.

↩ ∞
Ralph Humphrey October 20, 2023, 2:09 pm

He got exactly what he deserved.

↩ ∞
LK Berkenbosch October 20, 2023, 1:44 pm

Based solely on the police dash cam video, the suspect was observed having past the police vehicle at 100mph at a time of the morning when other vehicles were on the same roadway and could have been involved in a disastrous highway accident. No matter the suspect’s past, police officers have the job of enforcing traffic laws on the highways in their jurisdiction, and in this case, the Geogia Staff Sargent had the duty to stop, detain, inform the suspect of the criminal infraction and to put the suspect under arrest immediately. Gaining ID could have been pursued after cuffing the suspect; however, after being directed multiple times to place his hands on the truck by the officer, the suspect would not obey the directives, willfully obstructing the officer’s commands, even after being told he would be tased. The suspect continued obstruction of the officer’s duty, disregarding the officer’s commands, and was thereby, tased by the officer. The suspect then, while the taser was energized, decided to continue non-compliance by attempting to disengage the taser wiring, flailing his arms wildly, turning to approach, and grapple with the officer. The officer could not quickly subdue the suspect and had no backup force on the scene. At that time, and in those circumstances, the suspect could have very likely obtained the officer’s side arm due to the couple’s proximity and the suspect’s overwhelming fight/flight responses. The officer, knowing this and given the previous behavior of the suspect, was indeed justified in using deadly force to end this violent confrontation that otherwise could have cost the officer his life. The officer was not at fault in this shooting as he employed understandable directives and non-lethal means to subdue the suspect which in thei case proved ineffective. The suspect, Mr. Cure, could have obeyed the traffic law or complied with the officer’s lawful commands to begin with, knowing he was in the wrong, and even though he would have been arrested, he would have been alive now. This is not about skin color or the woke haircut of the day; this is about the suspect’s willful attitude to disregard the law and those that are employed in upholding it, no matter the cost to himself or anyone else.

↩ ∞
MrTriGuy October 20, 2023, 1:28 pm

I’ve looked but can’t locate any video of the chase, just the result that ends up with a pissed off cop being choked by a violent person until the officer finally shoots him in self defense. Lot’s of comments about how rude the cop was and that led to the violent reaction from the driver that was speeding at 100+ mph. If he was driving recklessly, zips past a patrol car at excessive speed, attempts to evade prior to pulling over – all those would lead the officer to be irate. Driving like an A-Hole justifies the reactions of the officer in my opinion anyway. Black, white, yellow, green – Cure was most likely endangering a lot of lives. The fact that he started fighting the officer – well, he started it, the officer ended it. If he was doped up on drugs, no excuse. If he was returning to or going to church, no excuse. Choke a cop – you are going to get shot.
Did anyone else notice the Brinks truck back up to the right of the stopped vehicles as this was all going down? Clearly they noticed the crap going on and most likely stopped to assist the officer. Good for them…

↩ ∞
George Wallace October 20, 2023, 12:46 pm

Typical Baboon … good riddance ! …. only 40 million more to go

↩ ∞
- Sean October 20, 2023, 2:30 pm
  
  Vailed racism is racism. I can’t figure out why the gun grabbers paint us all as ignorant hicks, can you?
  
  ↩ ∞
- Brian October 21, 2023, 6:01 am
  
  You’re garbage. Take your racist bullshit somewhere else.
  
  ↩ ∞
Tom Stonehouse October 20, 2023, 12:44 pm

Perfectly justified, without a doubt. The officer was going to be killed.

↩ ∞
Walter H Wray Jr October 20, 2023, 12:43 pm

There absolutely no doubt in my mind that the officer was justified in using lethal force. The officer was trying to preserve his life.
There was nothing whatsoever racial about this encounter. This was a matter of bad behavior.
God bless or law enforcement officers. They have to put up with a great deal of abuse. Had the man in question simply complied with the officer’s request there would have been a peaceful outcome.

↩ ∞
- larry October 20, 2023, 12:54 pm
  
  Agree, just comply and he would still be alive
  
  ↩ ∞
Jerrold Llewellyn October 20, 2023, 12:26 pm

This was an absolutely totally justified shooting… The Officer only used deadly force when all other means of defense had been exhausted and the perpetrator seemed to be getting control of the Officer…

↩ ∞
Ed October 20, 2023, 12:18 pm

Based on the escalation of violence against the officer, the shooting was justified.

↩ ∞
JT October 20, 2023, 12:09 pm

I am surprised that so many commentators on this site are unaware of what the law allows and requires officers to do and how the use of deadly force by law enforcement officers is judged by the courts. Please educate yourselves. The primary caselaw on any law enforcement use of force are the cases of Graham v. Connor and Tennessee v. Garner. There are four Graham Factors that are the primary considerations in determining the reasonableness of a use of force, including deadly force. They are 1. Severity of the crime. In this case the crime of reckless driving and a super speeder violation are serious because of the threat to public safety, particularly the decision by the driver to pass a police vehicle at at speed in excess of 100mph. However, the seriousness of the crime of resisting arrest and physically assaulting an officer in the performance of his duties is very serious. 2. Immediacy of the threat. At the time force was used the suspect was winning a physical fight and had the officer at a serious disadvantage. There is no greater threat to an officer except perhaps if the suspect had had a weapon. 3. Is the suspect actively resisting arrest. Yes, the suspect was clearly resisting arrest, had gained a significant physical advantage and was in a position to seriously hurt the deputy. 4. Is the suspect attempting to evade arrest by flight. No, although the officer would be reasonable if he presumed that once he was subdued by the suspect the suspect would flee.

There are additional factors that can factor into the decision, including: number of suspects v officers, size, age and physical condition of suspect and officer, duration of the action, known previous psychiatric history of suspect, known previous violent history of suspect, use of alcohol or drugs by suspect, presence of innocent bystanders, time of day. It is important to note that when the Supreme Court decided the Graham case and determined that the use of force by Officer Connor was reasonable they found that only ONE of the Graham factors was present. It is also important to understand that in these situations whether the deputy was “a dick” or he could have, should have, would have are entirely legally irrelevant. The Supreme Court in Graham said that whether an officer’s use of force was reasonable is judged “at the moment the force is used,” which clearly indicates that anything that happened before…such as “he should have de-escalated,” “he should not have been such a dick,” “he didn’t have to do that”, etc.,…are entirely irrelevant from a legal standpoint. The FACT is that the deputy is a lawful authority and even if a citizen thinks the deputy is wrong “the street” is not the place to make that argument. As a lawful authority figure citizens simply must do what they are directed to do by law enforcement officers. The fact that someone who was in prison for over a decade is surprised that he was going to be arrested after driving at over 100mph and passing a police vehicle, which is careless and reckless driving under the law of ANY state and many those states require law enforcement officers to make an arrest in such a situation, is astounding and unbelievable. This suspect was just an angry guy who didn’t want to comply with directions from the deputy and didn’t want a ticket or to get arrested despite deserving it. He didn’t get out of the vehicle when told, he refused to walk to the back of the truck, and he didn’t comply after he was tased. Then he physically assaulted the deputy and, if one listens carefully, when he had the deputy leaned way back and his hands on the deputy’s face, clearly a position of physical control and advantage over the deputy in the fight, he said words to the effect “yeah bitch, yeah bitch.” It was only AFTER he said those words that the deputy, who was clearly at a disadvantage and losing the fight, resorted to drawing his sidearm and using it.
Getting back to the law, one ignorant commentator commented that the deputy didn’t attempt to de-escalate and another one commented that all the suspect was doing was asking questions. The latter comment is factually incorrect and is therefore irrelevant. The suspect may have had questions but that did not obviate his legal duty to comply with the instructions given to him by the deputy. His legal duty to comply was not dependent on whether the deputy answered his questions correctly. This is essentially an attempt by the suspect to control and dominate the encounter by forcing the deputy to answer his questions. Such methodology by criminal suspects cannot be allowed to control encounters because that is particularly dangerous to law enforcement officers. The comment about de-escalation is ignorant because it presupposes that the three conditions necessary for de-escalation were present, and they were not. Those conditions are: 1. Time. 2. Environment. 3. Safety. There was no time for de-escalation. The suspect refused to comply, when he did he didn’t fully comply, he didn’t put his arm behind his back as instructed. The deputy had already made the decision to arrest the suspect and the suspect obviously knew that. He was actively resisting by non-compliance to verbal instructions, pulling his arm back, refusing to put his arm behind his back, not turning fully around when instructed to do so by the deputy and a whole host of other subtle physical actions that are clearly visible on the video. The environment was also inappropriate for de-escalation because the suspect and deputy were standing on the side of the busiest highway on the east coast, with traffic whizzing by at 70+mph or likely more, at dusk or early nightfall when visibility is particularly poor. 3. Safety. While there were no other bystanders to be concerned about the location can hardly be described as safe. Traffic stops are one of the two most unsafe activities law enforcement officers perform, the other being domestic calls. De-escalation is a feel good fairy tale that people cling to when trying to blame law enforcement officers for actions that suspects are clearly and obviously responsible for.

Why didn’t the suspect do as he was told? Multiple times. He was resistant from the first moment of the traffic stop. He initiated the confrontation when he initially refused to get out of the vehicle when the deputy first directed him to do so. Some commentators said that the deputy was “a dick,” but the tone of the encounter was set when the suspect refused the first command given to him by the deputy, a lawful command and one which he as a citizen is compelled to comply with. It was the suspect who started the entire mess. Next he refused to move to the rear of the vehicle. When he finally did he didn’t go all the way to the rear of the vehicle, he went to the side near the rear of the vehicle. He then refused to turn around completely as he was directed to do. When he finally complied he didn’t actually turn around, he just turned his head and looked in a different direction. He then refused to put his arm behind him. He attempted to delay is clearly impending arrest by showering the deputy with a series of delaying questions, attempting to take control of the conversation and situation by getting the deputy to justify his decision to arrest to the suspect. None of these are questions the deputy is obligated to answer, particularly given everything that had happened to that point. When he finally put his arm behind him it was with another blast of questions and then when he was told by the deputy that “I’m placing you under arrest” he pulled his arm away and started physically resisting in an obvious and clear manner, despite the fact that he had been resisting verbally and physically in a more subtle manner, for the entire encounter. That is when the deputy resorted to tasing the suspect. I could go on but this is the most legally justified shooting of a suspect that I’ve seen in a long time. There is no legal question here.

↩ ∞
- Sean October 20, 2023, 2:42 pm
  
  Very good point, in this case. Do you think the officers initial reaction and orders were appropriate or did they escalate the situation?
  *Please read the question as it is, a QUESTION. It is not a defense or an attempt to shift blame. It is purely ACCIDEMIC and asked by a law instructor to someone who speaks legalese. I simply want to know if it was wise for the officer to be so aggressive. I don’t need excuses from police fans. Forget he shot the guy and just look at the way he started the interaction. Was it professional?
  No, I do not have a Gender Studies Degree, I am not a liberal, hippy, Democrat or anything else. What I am is a disabled combat infantryman who teaches firearms law and self-defiance who is capable of independent thought and I am WONDERING.
  
  ↩ ∞
  - William October 20, 2023, 3:15 pm
    
    “Was it professional?”
    No. It is not professional to lose your cool.
    Nowhere will you find a law-enforcement standard which says it’s proper to begin an encounter by being audibly argumentative and agitated.
    The reason is simple: if you have lost control of your own temper, you are not in control of the situation.
    That said, the use of deadly force was as legally justified as it was inevitable after two grown men had temper tantrums on the side of the road but one of them was an on-duty police officer.
    
    ↩ ∞
  - JT October 23, 2023, 5:04 pm
    
    Sean – great question. I won’t read anything into it. Even if you were one or more of the things you described you should get an answer because you asked a good question. You don’t have anything to apologize for or clarify anything with me.
    
    So, a lot to unpack but I’ll try to be brief. First, I don’t necessarily believe the deputy’s initial reaction was on video. It appears that the video began recording after some conversation had already taken place. I cannot be sure of that but I’m not willing to assess the actions that were depicted on the video without at least pointing that out. I think the deputy’s harsh and commanding tone was, in part, a reaction to something the suspect said, did or refused to do. The investigation is in the early stages, there might be further video, we don’t yet have the deputy’s statement, so we will have to see how the facts develop to know for sure, but again, that possibility is worth mentioning.
    
    In any case, evaluating the situation based on what was depicted in the video, I think the initial reaction of the officer is irrelevant, the orders were both appropriate and reasonable, and I don’t believe they escalated the situation. The situation was escalated by the mere fact that the deputy stopped the suspect. The only thing that would have relieved that is letting the suspect go. It is likely the suspect knew or assumed he was going to jail…and he was right. That kind of driving in Georgia is nearly guaranteed jail.
    
    Reaction of officer: police officers are taught from almost their first day at the police academy that when they come upon a situation, almost all of which contain any number of unknowns, their first objective is to be in charge, take control, and make the scene safe for everyone. Given the seriousness of the violation, taking charge with a commanding presence and gaining rapid compliance is the best approach, without having to stand around answering numerous questions, none of which take precedence over the deputy’s goals and mission. There is simply no evidence to even suggest that a different tone or softer approach would have both accomplished the deputy’s goals and somehow gained the willing cooperation of the suspect. It’s pure conjecture to suggest otherwise. In fact the evidence suggests the opposite. Remember, as we learned later, this is a suspect who upon asking “why did you stop me” and receiving the reply that “you passed me going over 100mph,” replied ” So?” That is a willfully delusional response and it makes clear that the suspect knew full well what he did wrong and was merely attempting any ruse or argument to escape accountability. A softer, less harsh approach would likely have given hope to his already delusional assessment of the situation. That he thought there needed to be something else other than his driving over 100mph past a deputy sheriff to justify the traffic stop indicates that he was someone who simply could not be reasoned with.
    
    I also would like to point out that your question always puts the burden on the law enforcement officer to figure out something different to do so that a suspect won’t react poorly. I understand that is not the purpose of your question, but that it is what it does. The law does not assess blame or responsibility that way and therefore such questions do nothing but inflame public opinion and ignorance. Again I’m not pointing fingers as your question is quite natural, but it is both irrelevant and unhelpful because it avoids the question of…What is the suspect’s responsibility? A citizen has a legal duty to follow directions given to them by officers in the performance of their duties, regardless of whether the officer is mean, harsh, a jerk or whatever. And oftentimes an officer will not have the luxury of time to sit and have a discussion and explain his rationale to a suspect, which is what shifting that burden, however unintentional, does. I think the correct question is why didn’t the suspect simply do as he was told? Had he done so he likely would be alive today.
    
    Orders to get out of the vehicle: Perfectly lawful and reasonable…and also appropriate. The conditions at the time were important. Dusk, alongside the busiest north-south highway on the east coast, poor visibility, high speed traffic 70-80+ mph, along a well know drug corridor between Florida to the northeast, driving at a very high rate of speed in a pickup truck, out of state plates, etc. I could go on. It is not uncommon for law enforcement to want to get suspects out of a vehicle quickly for many reasons. Traffic stops and domestic calls are where cops get killed and injured. The side of a highway is not just unsafe for law enforcement, but for suspects and the motoring public. Its not the place, especially at dusk, for a debate or 20 questions. In addition the deputy might have already decided to arrest the suspect. The sooner he gets him out of the vehicle, secured in handcuffs and placed safely in the back seat of his patrol vehicle the better. Getting a suspect out of a vehicle allows the deputy to see his hands, his waist area where weapons can be concealed, and doesn’t allow him access to any weapons that might be in the vehicle. The out of state plates and the terribly excessive speed in close proximity to Florida…the location where the suspect was pulled over is very close to Florida…so getting the suspect out of the vehicle was prudent and smart. I likely would have done the same thing. Immediately.
    
    Was it professional? I don’t know. William who responded to your question said it wasn’t professional because he “began” the encounter by being argumentative and agitated. I don’t think we know that for sure. Again it appears to me that the initial part of the encounter was not recorded. Does everyone always act professionally or perfectly professional? Not hardly. Here is the problem with that question…its legally irrelevant and misleading and again serves to shift blame to the officer. The use of force is judged “at the moment force is used,” not based on any run-up to an incident. Basically all that doesn’t matter. I love these guys who are always so quick to point out the lack of perfect performance by police, as if that justifies something else. Assuming that the encounter began immediately when the video did and there was nothing else I will say that it would be better if the deputy had not been so obviously agitated. Its always better. But a cop who thinks that police are robots and don’t ever make mistakes and always act perfectly is lying to himself about his own performance and that of everyone else. Police are human and don’t always act perfectly, particularly under the dangerous and high stress conditions they work under regularly. So asking the question, again although it isn’t your intent, does shift more of a burden on the officer when the burden is properly placed on the citizen, as part of our compact with each other and with our government. Whether the officer acts in a perfectly professional manner is legally irrelevant. Would it have been better if he kept his cool? Maybe. Probably. Maybe not. As I pointed out the suspect was irrational and the real problem is he knew what he did was very wrong and he knew he was likely going back to jail, something that this suspect in particular did not want to revisit. And I understand that completely. However, I believe that he had control over that and knowingly made a decision to put that control into the deputy’s hands by driving like he did. Its a shame.
    
    This situation is clearly different than one involving a citizen carrying a concealed weapon for self-defense, at least in the initial stages of the encounter. A citizen would be absolutely right to break contact and simply leave if they encountered someone like this. Unfortunately for the deputy he had no such luxury and in fact had a legal duty to take action. The level of the speeding removed this particular incident from a situation where he might have been able to reasonably use his discretion.
    
    One last point…I failed in my initial response to analyze how Tennessee v. Garner applies to this case. That case is codified in Georgia under OCGA 17-4-20(b), which authorizes law enforcement officers to use deadly force to effect an arrest under three conditions, commonly referred to as “the three Ps” by use of force instructors. Briefly these are: (1) suspect POSSESSES a deadly weapon which if used offensively is likely or actually does result in serious bodily injury; (2) officer reasonably believes that the suspect POSES an immediate threat of physical violence to the officer or others; (3) officer has PROBABLE CAUSE to believe that the suspect has committed a crime involving the infliction or threatened infliction of serious physical harm. In this case you have numbers (2) suspect Poses an immediate threat, and possibly (3) Probably Cause to believe the suspect has committed a crime involving the infliction or threatened infliction of serious physical harm. I would argue that number (3) occurred when the suspect physically assaulted the deputy and bent him backwards pushed his head back in a manner that made it look like his neck was going to be snapped while at the same time saying “Yeah bitch, yeah bitch.” I don’t know the state of the officer and any injuries he might have, but it might meet both criteria. To use deadly force to make an arrest the law only requires one of the “Ps.”
    
    I hope this was helpful and not too “rah, rah” for the police. If you have further questions or would like to continue the discussion please respond and we can continue.
    
    .
    
    ↩ ∞
WILLIAM Male SCHRADER October 20, 2023, 11:54 am

I think it was not justified until he started choking then it become justifed

↩ ∞
Charlie Throckmorton October 20, 2023, 11:52 am

Because the guy was black did it give him the right to speed and resist arrest ? Why not just comply and not assault the officer? Obvitje officer felt his life was in danger ( and l it appeared so) and justifiably
took action. He had no knowledge of this mama past and the animosity he was holding from wrongful imprisonment. All he had to do was comply yet he did not and the result cost him his life.

↩ ∞
Steve October 20, 2023, 11:30 am

The Officer was Justified in the shooting, why was the man Speeding over 100 then didn’t cooperate with the officer? He resisted arrest ! Sorry to waste a life!

↩ ∞
Brad Holliday October 20, 2023, 11:22 am

After watching the dash-cam video, doesn’t the reasonable person (i.e. NOT race-baiting assholes such as this Ben Crump imbecile, another worthless ambulance-chasing lawyer) wonder if this criminal was TRULY behind bars due to a WRONGFUL conviction?! The words and behaviors we all see memorialized on tape VERY CLEARLY demonstrate those of a criminal with no respect for the law or any intention of cooperating with the law enforcement officer who rightfully stopped and detained him. This CRIMINAL not only resisted arrest, he attacked the law enforcement officer. These facts are clearly on display in the video. Only the blind… or those wearing race-baiting, Soros/Biden-tinted Socialist glasses… refuse to see as much.

When do We the People stand up and put an end to this nonsense? Just because someone cries “I’m a victim of _______” does NOT mean they ARE. A full and proper investigation MUST be done. That is impossible today, though, thanks to cancerous, radically liberal and dangerously socialistic groups allowed to exist in our country such as NPR, the ACLU, and similar such societal blights (some of which are supported by our tax dollars, as revolting as that is to swallow), along with social media and an always-on mainstream media. The public seems no longer interested in facts, but rather a soundbite here or there, or some sick satisfaction from whatever outlet has the goriest, bloodiest photos of the latest news stories available the soonest.

IF, and I cannot emphasize that if enough… IF the convict was genuinely incorrectly convicted of a crime and did time for that crime earlier in his life (which I simply reject, based on the criminal’s behavior; I’ve had far too much experience with these clowns), then he would have been especially sensitive to ANY AND ALL interactions with law enforcement. He would NOT have jumped out of the truck he was driving 100mph down the road, immediately present with a noncompliant attitude, and start arguing with the officer. He would NOT have attempted to litigate his case on the side of the road with no witnesses.

It is unfortunate the criminal had to die that day. But HE made the choice. HE forced the law enforcement officer’s hand. HE broke several laws, including assaulting an LEO. Any right-minded, sane individual would have known this predator was trying to take the life of the law enforcement officer doing his job, and that same right-minded, sane individual would have taken the steps necessary to protect their own life.

(Personally, I’d have beat him to death with my bare hands just as slowly as time would allow… but that is just because I’m able, and because I think career criminals such as this scumbag need to exit this world feeling all the pain possible in their earthly body before Satan welcomes them to that lake of fire…)

↩ ∞
RayJay October 20, 2023, 11:09 am

No doubt it was justified. Taser lost in the struggle. Cure was not only combative, beligerant and resisted arrest but initially pushed deputy into traffic lane. This was followed by a neck crank or choke that would have put the deputy on the ground. The deputy was obviously in fear of his life. It is also NOT obvious that Cure is black.

↩ ∞
Andy October 20, 2023, 11:06 am

Watching this video I didn’t realize this man was black. I doubt race was a factor. No one has the right to resist a lawful order from a police officer. Being black does not give you the right to resist or disobey a lawful order. This is why the public has such a low opinion of lawyers. Last course taught in law school is how to lose your common sense and conscience.

↩ ∞
Ed Henton October 20, 2023, 11:01 am

I have scrapped better stuff off the bottom of my shoes then that clown, good shoot all the way around.

↩ ∞
Godfrey Daniel October 20, 2023, 11:00 am

When the s#!t hits the fan, you need to use the appropriate shovel. Appropriate shovel used.

↩ ∞
Ralph Johnson October 20, 2023, 10:58 am

I would be very worried if I was the officer. Since he had the opportunity to draw and fire his pistol it should be questioned as to why he didn’t draw and use his taser. I’m addition, the officer didn’t seem to know anything about how to defuse a tense situation. His verbiage just seemed to intensify the confrontation. I’m thinking he should be very worried. Deadly force could have been avoided.

↩ ∞
- Sean October 20, 2023, 2:50 pm
  
  If the officer were a civilian, he would be charged. He would be called an instigator and also used excessive force. BUT! As a LEO, he has a grater ability to use force up to and including deadly force. The police fan boys are going to hate me but, the shooting was justified. The cop needs to not be a cop anymore. No need for his emotions to get away from him like that.
  I would have been afraid if a cop was screaming at me like that from the start. I would not have fought but it would have been scarry.
  
  ↩ ∞
  - Bill October 20, 2023, 4:32 pm
    
    Oh fucking waaaahh. The dirtbag just looked the officer on a triple digit high speed chase, refused to pull over, refused to yield. The office understandably full of adrenaline used a very commanding voice ordering the dirtbag out of the vehicle and he again refused to comply. Should the officer then lure him out of the car with a Snickers bar and the promise of a fun game of pat-a-cake? I’m sure, Sean that you would have offered the guy a nice backrub if he would pretty please get out and have a perfectly civilized conversation – until the dirtbag choked the life out of you. But you’re obviously so far above we mere mortals.
    
    ↩ ∞
SquirrelSlayer October 20, 2023, 10:53 am

He was given every chance to save his own life. He may have been given a bad deal by the “justice system” ,however, it appears he wasn’t that bright to begin with. Play stupid games – win stupid prizes!

↩ ∞
Jim October 20, 2023, 10:51 am

Given the situation, and that the suspect was clearly on something, or just disturbed how else could this have ended, with another dead police officer doing his job. Had the suspect just put his hands behind his back, things would have never escalated. This guy will never be able to hurt anyone again.

↩ ∞
- Sean October 20, 2023, 2:51 pm
  
  “Clearly” on something? Clearly? Interesting.
  
  ↩ ∞
Michael Lemmer October 20, 2023, 10:48 am

It looks pretty clear to me. This vermin left the officer with no other choice.

↩ ∞
LEO Retired October 20, 2023, 10:48 am

This video would make a good training aid for LEO academy’s. First, it shows what an Officer should not do when approaching someone during a routine traffic stop (a stop that there is no first indication of violence). At the first indication of noncompliance, backup should have been called and/or the use of non lethal force should have been applied after sufficient warning. In this case, the use of non lethal force came too late. A more experienced or better trained Officer might have handled the situation differently. There is a proper way for an Officer to approach someone in any situation. There is a proper way to act or react if you are stopped by Police. Neither of the actors in this video used the proper methods. There is no clear indication of race motivation for any actions in this video. All that being said, there is only one bottom line: The officer used deadly force to defend his life. This shooting is justified.

↩ ∞
- Sean October 20, 2023, 2:54 pm
  
  YES! Police officers DO make mistakes sometimes. I was thinking the same thing about a training video. The officer started out all wrong. And I agree, justified shooting. AND, this officer needs to look into another line of work.
  
  ↩ ∞
- William October 20, 2023, 3:22 pm
  
  Very succinctly said.
  “Neither of the actors in this video used the proper methods.”
  But one of them was legally empowered to use force, regardless of how many mistakes he made which contributed to an untenable confrontation.
  
  ↩ ∞
David October 20, 2023, 10:46 am

Don’t assault or otherwise threaten the life and well-being of any person, including police officers, and you won’t find yourself on the receiving end of justifiable defensive actions which may result in the loss of your life.

↩ ∞
Dan Tyndale October 20, 2023, 10:40 am

play stupid games, win stupid prizes

↩ ∞
- Dan Tyndale October 20, 2023, 10:42 am
  
  Refer to CHRIS ROCK How NOT to Get Your Ass Kicked By The Police
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpjcdZpXrnk
  
  ↩ ∞
  - Sean October 20, 2023, 3:01 pm
    
    Thank you so much, I needed that. Check out his rant on gun control and white kids, lol.
    
    ↩ ∞
Scott October 20, 2023, 10:36 am

Yeah there is scumbag attorneys out there that always push the race card even where there is clear evidence that the suspect is choking the officer while being tased as he is choking the officer saying yeah bitch twice. But before that he refused to follow the orders of the officer and FUCKING RACE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH HIS DEATH

↩ ∞
Fred October 20, 2023, 10:27 am

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. Employ race hustler lawyer, tells me all you need to know about the family.

↩ ∞
jerry October 20, 2023, 10:22 am

someone should be giving this cop a medal. I thought he handled this situation PERFECTLY.

↩ ∞
John McCutcheon October 20, 2023, 10:16 am

Hate the dude spent 16yrs wrongly confined. Doesn’t give him the right to be an asshat. He was hauling ass, he got caught speeding and instead of acknowledging his wrong doing, he doubled down on belligerence. He signed his own death warrant as soon as he grabbed that guy’s throat.

I’m sure he got a large payout for the wrongfull incarceration. No, that’s not going to get all those years back but he could have taken that payout and lived out his remaining years financially comfortable and free. But no, he had to be a Billy Bad Ass Thug. Play stupid games…..

↩ ∞
Bob W October 20, 2023, 10:15 am

This guy was obviously not right in the head. Last year I got pulled over in my Vette for doing 98 in a 55 mile zone. I got a speeding ticket and paid a big fine with points on my license. I didn’t get arrested and didn’t get handcuffed. I’m white. What I do know is that if you attack a cop for what ever reason you’re gonna get shot. Cops don’t get paid to get beat up.

↩ ∞
Frank October 20, 2023, 10:09 am

The officer feared for his life. I think he would have killed the officer. I don’t think race had anything to do with it. I don’t care if he was purple, The man was not in his right mind.

↩ ∞
Phaddy October 20, 2023, 9:38 am

Hell yes it was justified, just stop resisting, get your ticket and shut up, he knew he was driving over 100 mph.

↩ ∞
Rodney Steward October 20, 2023, 9:34 am

Why do blacks always feel like they have to constantly resist any officer, they get what they ask for.
YES, this officer was in the right.

↩ ∞
- Dave October 20, 2023, 11:25 am
  
  They are genetically stupid. They’ve been coddled by leftist idiots who make them believe that when you are black you can do what ever you want to whitey. They allowed the BLM riots to be an expression of peaceful protest. So this is an extension of that. Open season on whitey. That will not play out well for these schmucks in the end , like this drugged up arrogant fool.
  
  ↩ ∞
Robert B October 20, 2023, 9:33 am

I don’t think the deputy handled the stop very well. That said, I believe Cure was intent on killing the deputy and was on the verge of doing so when the deputy shot him. The shooting is justified.

↩ ∞
- Scott October 20, 2023, 10:38 am
  
  How do you figure the officer didn’t handle the stop correctly
  
  ↩ ∞
Fred October 20, 2023, 9:31 am

100% justified.Absolutely stupid for any citizen to do and say whatever they want to when stopped by a police officer.your actions determine the officer’s actions.

↩ ∞
Pete Faz October 20, 2023, 9:25 am

Yep– he got what he deserved

↩ ∞
Guy October 20, 2023, 9:13 am

There was zero need for the aggressive and confrontational nature of that traffic stop.Cure began the incident compliant, asking reasonable questions.

The deputy was literally screaming at Cure from the get-go. I don’t tolerate that from my 9 year old. To be honest, if I was ever in an interaction like that I would more than likely assume that the “cop” was an imposter like the mass shooter in Portapique Canada –

I work out and train with a lot of cops, generally I am sympathetic, they do a tough and at times dangerous and poorly thanked job.

This idiot engineered a confrontation, with someone clearly bigger and stronger than him. He threatened him, assaulted him, displayed no courtesy, no professionalism, goaded him into a physical confrontation he was incapable of concluding and so had to resort to his service weapon.

A more cynical person than me might easily conclude that this cop was actively seeking the kind of interaction that he got. Me, I don’t know enough about it, but I can say this for sure, that kind of behavior on the part of an LEO is precisely the behavior that leads people to regard LEOs as a threat to their safety.

There will be good, hardworking, brave cops who end up paying the price for this moron’s stupidity.

↩ ∞
- Sally October 20, 2023, 10:30 am
  
  Thank you Mr. Crump.
  
  ↩ ∞
- LJ October 20, 2023, 10:39 am
  
  I agree 100%. The cop escalated this traffic stop to a violent confrontation that absolutely did not need to happen. Yes, Cure was speeding and driving recklessly, but the cop was irate from the instant he got out of his car and failed to interact with Cure in a professional manner. This would make an outstanding training film for new police recruits on how NOT to handle a traffic stop.
  
  Was it justified? Once the cop unnecessarily escalated it to that point he had no choice but to shoot Cure to defend himself. Had the cop acted professionally from the very beginning, this probably would never have happened.
  
  ↩ ∞
  - Dave October 20, 2023, 11:28 am
    
    Wrong. The black drugged up maggot got exactly what he was asking for. Put your libtardism away moron.
    
    ↩ ∞
    - LJ October 20, 2023, 1:12 pm
      
      Obviously people with little or no social skills and limited mental capacities, or the ability to communicate without spewing hate and discontent, will respond in your manner. Not only am I NOT a “libardism” or “moron” for that matter, I am a 60+ year-old conservative level-4 life member of the NRA, a former gun dealer, a CCL, and someone that has enough common sense to know when I watch a video, recognize when a police officer mishandles a traffic stop, and clash’s with a individual that he ended up having to kill because HE escalated a situation that could have been handled with a little bit more tact. That “black drugged up maggot”, as you referred to him, was still a human being, an American citizen with rights, and a family, and a desire to live.
      
      Did he handle the situation right? No, any time you argue with police you’re going to lose. That’s why you have your day in court. Was it a justified shoot? Yes, once the cop escalated it to that point. My point is that ‘cop’ doesn’t need to be in a position dealing with the public, because obviously he doesn’t have the temperament for it.
      
      ↩ ∞
    - LJ October 20, 2023, 1:22 pm
      
      I would respond in kind, but I don’t feel like having to stoop to your level of your key-board-warrior mentality.🙄
      
      ↩ ∞
  - JC October 20, 2023, 12:12 pm
    
    I bet the nay sayers here would be screaming and upset if the excessive speeder injured one of their family members of friends!!!
    
    ↩ ∞
- JM Miller October 20, 2023, 2:27 pm
  
  Yes, the deputy was aggressive and pissed. So what? If anything, that should have been a big red flag for Cure to double-chill, and “de-escalate”. Not escalate with an argumentative attitude. Cure knew he blew by over 100 mph, but like most “special” and “entitled” non-whites (and Liberal whites too!), he goes into denial mode and defies all instructions. I’m White, and I’ve been the victim of similar bad attitude cops, when I deserved it, and when I didn’t.
  YOU SHUT UP. KEEP YOUR HANDS IN SIGHT. DO WHAT YOU ARE TOLD, AND TALK ONLY WHEN SPOKEN TO. If the cop crossed the line, THANK GOD for body and dash cams, and use them to vindicate yourself, and MAYBE, get a fat civil suit judgment. My X5M has front and rear cameras because I learned this long ago. 99% of the time, there’s no problem. Just shut up. Say yes sir, or yes mam, and defuse their bad day with compliant kindness.
  
  ↩ ∞
Big Chief October 20, 2023, 9:07 am

Dude gets shot and still making crazy martial arts movements. What the???

↩ ∞
- Dave October 20, 2023, 11:09 am
  
  Drugs
  
  ↩ ∞
Big John October 20, 2023, 9:06 am

Rule number one Obey The Law, Rule number two, do not resist.

↩ ∞
Bill K October 20, 2023, 9:01 am

Don’t listen because you’re black and that makes you special. Dummass will be a criminal soon again.

↩ ∞
Allen October 20, 2023, 8:51 am

Man that guy took that taser like a boss. That would send up a red flag. Cop was a dick, but so was the other guy. If Crump is involved then it’s a justified shooting. It seems that we are seeing the consequences of telling a certain part of our society that they are special because their relatives were slaves and they get to act differently and not all laws apply to them. I’m Sorry this man had to spend that much time in prison for something he didn’t do but you can’t choke a cop. The officer did some things wrong but he wasn’t trying to arrest him on false pretenses. 100 mph is an arrest not a ticket. You don’t get to resist arrest just because the cop is acting like a jerk. File a complaint later. If some don’t have to work within a system, as flawed as it is because humans are flawed, then the system will break down and only bad things happen at this point. You can’t say this guy was afraid of the cop so he wasn’t in fear for his life. The cop couldn’t fight or wrestle and was going to get killed if this kept going.

↩ ∞
- JM Miller October 20, 2023, 2:08 pm
  
  Don’t know about some County in Georgia, but 100 mph on I-95 in Florida is a ticket, “maybe,” if you are even stopped (except Brevard County’s air patrol). Traffic routinely runs 85 to 90. But the ticket or arrest was NOT what got this guy dead. It was “attitude” and attacking the deputy, who’s fear of losing control of his sidearm to the perp made his choices ZERO. Totally justified shoot.
  
  ↩ ∞
Patrick Jay October 20, 2023, 8:50 am

Zero compliance resulted in his death. Side of the road is not the place to fight the charge.

↩ ∞
Punisher Six October 20, 2023, 8:50 am

Looks like officer friendly took out the trash.
Attack a police officer and bad things happen.
Good riddance to that POS.

↩ ∞
Sean October 20, 2023, 8:47 am

After reading other posts I am afraid. The attitude seems to be no matter what the cop does, if you resist it is ok. Fact is this is a very gray area for deadly force. Was the assault deadly? The answer I’s definitely maybe. It looked like it turned deadly to me. The Scarry part is most people seem to think that if one does not immediately comply with an officer, the officer is justified in using any force they choose. This, by law, simply is not true.

↩ ∞
- Ann October 20, 2023, 10:32 am
  
  Right, the cop can respond once he’s dead. Another gender studies major spouts off. Any assault is deadly skippy.
  
  ↩ ∞
  - Sean October 20, 2023, 1:13 pm
    
    Actually I am a firearms law and self defense instructor. You must have read only part of what I said. I never said he wasn’t justified. I said I was alarmed by the prevailing attitude that anything is ok if one doesn’t immediately comply. In this case it looks justified. And, a classic legal question is “when does a simple assault be come deadly?”
    Please reread my post. My problem is with you people, not the cop in this case. Law is law.
    
    ↩ ∞
  - Sean October 20, 2023, 1:27 pm
    
    My comment was too harsh. Got rejected. I am not a gender studies person. I am a 100% service connected disabled combat infantryman who teaches firearms and self defense law.
    
    ↩ ∞
- JC October 20, 2023, 12:16 pm
  
  If that officer was your family you would prefer him come home than the person who obviously has no respect for anyone’s life.
  
  ↩ ∞
  - Sean October 20, 2023, 1:22 pm
    
    My problem is with you peoples attitude that anything a cop does is ok if someone doesn’t immediately comply. In this case it looks justified. Your hostility to me is not. I am looking from a legal prospective and not an emotional one. Laws apply to everyone, all of the time.
    Here is an example: man was beaten by police. 4 broken ribs, ruptured kidney and 3 fractures in his face. Your response? “Play stupid games get stupid prizes” or some other comment, right? Then I say “wow, seems a bit expensive ” and I am called “Gender studies boy” “liberal” and all sorts of other things by police fan Boys. Just for questioning the legality.
    I am a 100% service connected disabled combat infantryman who teaches firearms and self defense law. But what would I know, right? THIS is why people hate us, gun owners.
    
    ↩ ∞
W. Garrison October 20, 2023, 8:46 am

It is hard not to justify the use of deadly force when a suspect is attempting to kill or disable a LEO. However, a review of the entire encounter shows multiple opportunities when the situation could have been de-escalated. Shouting and screaming commands at a suspect immediately raises the fear, anxiety, and potential for resistance, and demonstrates a high level of anxiety and lack of control by the LEO, even as he is doing so in a misguided attempt to establish control and dominance. He aggressively puts hands on the suspect before it it necessary, and begins the confrontation with the foregone (and at that point premature and unnecessary) insistence that the subject is going to jail. As soon as the subject demonstrated that he was uncooperative, the LEO should have immediately called for back-up and reverted to a less confrontational approach, at least until back-up had arrived. A lone LEO is much more prone to attack than a team of officers. There were plenty of stalling tactics that could have given both parties the opportunity to cool down – field sobriety test, license and registration review while the suspect sat on the tailgate of the truck, a more low-key questioning of the subject about his speeding behavior, where he lived, family, employment, etc. The LEO got way too close to the subject, without backup, while the subject was in an agitated state. Additionally, like it or not, LEO’s need to be more aware these days of the fear factor present in lone black male suspects during any confrontation with police, and work to overcome that, not encourage it from the first moment of the encounter. Sadly, the shooting appears necessary for the LEO to protect his life once the situation deteriorated. It is not shown if the LEO attempted any first aid or other interventions for the subject after the shooting, and it is not apparent if these were even possible given the condition of the suspect. MUCH training is apparently needed for this officer and probably his entire department. It is, of course, easy to be a “Monday Morning Quarterback” when one is not being choked by a stronger assailant. The LEO had the authority and necessity at the moment of extremis to defend himself. Unfortunately, it never should have come to that.

↩ ∞
Eric Lawrence October 20, 2023, 8:46 am

I believe the man got what he thought he wanted. Everybody else, black, white, purple or polka-dot has to obey the law, why should this man be allowed to assault and try to choke a deputy while calling out “Yeah you Bitch”. It’s just a shame that his story was sad to begin with, then to not make the best of his release but to have such hatred towards a deputy who had nothing to do with his wrongful confinement. As a result, society will never get to see a positive side to this man, just read about his selfish demise. Next time your pulled over, remember that, by a huge majority, peace officers do not wish to harm you or even make your life harder, they are doing a job that most of us don’t have the stomach or courage to do. I feel bad for this deputy for he will be forever reminded of this incident. I hope he can continue his career in law enforcement without carrying the burden of this incident. I support his actions, self defense is a viable case here.

↩ ∞
Yes I'm white October 20, 2023, 8:44 am

I’m just here for the racist guys that will claim “justified”. Y’all white hood comes out through your comments, god punishes you by having your daughters and sons love black men!

↩ ∞
- Chief October 20, 2023, 8:57 am
  
  Nice sentence structure. Clown.
  
  ↩ ∞
- Allen October 20, 2023, 9:01 am
  
  You’re a hateful nut job. But you have a free speech right to spew all kinds of hateful crap. You claim racism on the white cop and all of us yet it’s Gods punishment if my white child marries a black person? You must be all kinds of twisted up inside. When you point a finger there’s three pointing back at you.
  
  ↩ ∞
- Dave October 20, 2023, 11:11 am
  
  You are not white, but you are a moron. By the way splib, JUSTIFIED. Should have capped his ass a couple more times.
  
  ↩ ∞
Sean October 20, 2023, 8:39 am

The old question of: When does a simple assault become a deadly assault?

↩ ∞
- Retired LEO October 23, 2023, 9:51 am
  
  When the Assailant has the opportunity, the means, the ability and the intent to cause death or severe bodily harm to another person. When these factors are in place, the assault is considered to a deadly assault.
  
  ↩ ∞
Wase October 20, 2023, 8:36 am

Clearly justified. Race has nothing to do with it.

↩ ∞
Big’un October 20, 2023, 8:28 am

Noncompliance seems to be the issue here. Standing on the side of a busy highway is not the place to aggressively argue that you shouldn’t get a ticket -let alone start a fight. Take the ticket, say yes sir, no sir and argue the merits of the stop in court. Once again fighting with cops gets a guy killed. What a surprise.

↩ ∞
Clayton Whitmarsh October 20, 2023, 8:25 am

Obviously justified shooting albeit unfortunate. White or black You can’t repeatedly disobey a police officer & attack them without consequences. He had many many chances to comply. I can’t even see the question of justified or not being a legitimate one.

↩ ∞
Rex October 20, 2023, 8:25 am

Justified. Comply first. Deal with the details second.

↩ ∞
Frank Rogers October 20, 2023, 8:22 am

Whenever something like this happens involving a white cop and a black suspect, the first thing that the “biased” Mr Ben Crump does is declare that the cop was a racist and he shot the poor suspect just because he’s black. I’m so tired of reading about that lawyer who, himself, is more prejudiced than ANY white person I’ve ever known. I believe that most educated black people realize that the man got shot because he was resisting arrest (violently, by the way) and the cop was fighting for his life, which he should have never had to do. No racism or bias here, just a statement by a lawyer trying to continue the Obama era of stirring up minorities and poorly educated whites over something he CLEARLY knows was a justifiable and necessary shooting. Wonder if the racist Mr Crump could apply his “considerable skills” prosecuting “biased, hateful” shootings in the inner cities of Chicago and New York, among other places? Seems to me that should keep him busy enough to quit looking at situations that don’t exist, but, of course, those incidents are also not as profitable.

↩ ∞
Rex October 20, 2023, 8:20 am

Justified. Comply first. Deal with details second.

↩ ∞
Mac October 20, 2023, 8:19 am

This gentleman was shot not because he was black, red, white, green or blue. He was shot because he broke the law, endangered other drivers, failed to follow the directions of the law enforcement officer and then resisted arrest. The motorist created the situation and chose his outcome. Remember, most LE officers killed in the line of duty are killed with their own weapon taken from them. My father in law is a retired HP Captain. I think of how many nights on open roads over a 30 year career he had to approach an impaired, belligerent driver. Just this past weekend, twenty years into retirement, he said “I thank God I never had to shoot anyone.” The rules of engagement are simple, follow the commands of the officer on the side of the road and work it out in court or at the station. Anyone who thinks otherwise should volunteer to go on a ride around once or twice with their local LE Dept or visit a grieving family whose child was killed by by a drunk driver.

↩ ∞
Talsup45 October 20, 2023, 8:19 am

Cure got what he deserved. He was driving like the idiot he was, the deputy saw it and did his job. Cure shouldn’t have resisted. He knew he was wrong and should have complied. My sympathies for his family. I’m sure they loved him and I’m sorry for their loss but his death is his own fault.

↩ ∞
Frank Rogers October 20, 2023, 8:18 am

Whenever something like this happens involving a white cop and a black suspect, the first thing that the “biased” Mr Ben Crump does is declare that the cop was a racist and he shot the poor suspect just because he’s black. I’m so tired of reading about that that lawyer who, himself, is more prejudiced than ANY white person I’ve ever known. I believe that most educated black people realize that the man got shot because he was resisting arrest (violently, by the way) and the cop was fighting for his life, which he should have never had to do. No racism or bias here, just a statement by a biased lawyer trying to continue the Obama era of stirring up minorities and poorly educated whites over something he CLEARLY knows was a justifiable and necessary shooting. Wonder if Mr Crump could apply his “considerable skills” prosecuting “biased, hateful” shootings in the inner cities of Chicago and New York, among other places? Seems to me that should keep him busy enough to quit looking at situations that don’t exist, but, of course, those incidents are also not as profitable.

↩ ∞
Whether October 20, 2023, 8:17 am

Gads. AI-“written”, or do our schools produce writing this painful?

↩ ∞
JM Miller October 20, 2023, 8:13 am

Of course this shooting was justified. Perp was uncooperative, escalating deputy’s need to enforce his commands, then he was assailed by a defiant perp, until control of his weapon was threatened by the perp’s overwhelming in a body hold and then attempting to subdue or kill the deputy by forcing his head back and possibly breaking his neck. The “intent” of perp to follow through to any lethal end was exhibited by his repeated “yeah, bitch… yeah, bitch.”

↩ ∞
ejharbet October 20, 2023, 8:11 am

killed by the real racists who poisoned his mind into thinking its ok to kill a cop.
he fafo-ed. the cop got to go home to his family

↩ ∞
Thomas S. Rock October 20, 2023, 8:05 am

Totally justified. This guy is crazy or on drugs or both.

↩ ∞
Mac October 20, 2023, 8:01 am

What’s to weigh-in about other than a 100-percent justified shooting without regard to race or anything else. Crump and his supporters are the racists, plain and simple.

↩ ∞
TnDoc October 20, 2023, 7:59 am

The truth is that this cop is a repeat “excessive force” offender who has been “moved on” to other jobs because of his behavior. He should NEVER have had a badge and gun. Period.
The video actually shows the deceased attempting to be compliant and respectful, but the cop would have none of it and escalated the situation by tasering the man for no reason – repeatedly. What man – having survived 16 years of unjust imprisonment – would NOT become enraged and attempt to defend himself? Sorry, but a badge and a gun does not excuse murder.
The deceased was an activist for police reform and was a perfect target for revenge by the authorities. His mother predicted that he would become a victim of our just(us) system. Sadly, she was correct.
That racism lives on in this failed state cannot be denied. It is apparent from the comments already surfacing here…
Follow the real story at incarcernation.com

↩ ∞
- Jay October 20, 2023, 8:24 am
  
  “The video actually shows the deceased attempting to be compliant and respectful . . .”
  
  You must have watched a different video. There was no respectful compliance whatsoever, not in the video I watched.
  
  ↩ ∞
  - Jim October 20, 2023, 8:38 am
    
    I was going to say the same thing. No compliance at all. However, I do not agree with the Deputies yelling and screaming either. That in itself can cause things to go to another level.
    
    It was a good shoot.
    
    ↩ ∞
    - William October 20, 2023, 3:28 pm
      
      It was legally justifiable, but it was not a good shoot.
      
      ↩ ∞
      - Jim October 20, 2023, 7:46 pm
        
        I am pretty sure you are smart enough to know what I was inferring. It was a good shoot in the eyes of the law. Don’t play symantic games,
        
        ∞
- Patrick Jay October 20, 2023, 8:52 am
  
  Stop it. You must have watched a different video. Everything is NOT race related. Those who cry racism the loudest are usually the biggest racists.
  
  ↩ ∞
- George Wallace October 20, 2023, 12:50 pm
  
  Your a moron
  
  ↩ ∞
Michael Sichta October 20, 2023, 7:55 am

If the Man (of any ethnicity) was speeding, pulled over & refused to comply with the officers commands and got tazzed & then started to strangle the officer. Oh Hell Yes the officer was justified in the shooting to protect himself & the public if the suspect got back in his vehicle & sped away.

↩ ∞
Whathappenedtomycountry October 20, 2023, 7:55 am

Maybe attacking a cop isn’t the best way to stay alive

↩ ∞
Shark October 20, 2023, 7:52 am

This wouldn’t receive any media attention if the subject was a white guy.

↩ ∞
Nick S October 20, 2023, 7:51 am

I want to know why the cop approached him so aggressively. I HIGHLY doubt he would have gone after me in that manner (an older white dude who drives a Lexus). It seems like the cop escalated things from the get-go. “Can’t let this black boy run the show here, folks”

↩ ∞
- Brian October 21, 2023, 6:03 am
  
  The decedent had passed the cop going over 100mph and led the police on a brief chase. Risking the lives of everyone on the highway. The decedent’s total disregard for others and the level of adrenaline produced during a police chase is likely what contributed to the aggressive behavior.
  
  ↩ ∞
  - Sean October 21, 2023, 10:49 am
    
    I thought you said he wasn’t aggressive and it was just his “command voice?” And, I missed the the part in the video where you said he refused to pull over. Not saying it didn’t happen, just didn’t see it. And I still think the cop needs to change careers. I couldn’t find the thread to reply to you.
    (I knew you fan boys would loose it ober my comment)
    
    ↩ ∞
Henry October 20, 2023, 7:51 am

Most reckless drivers have serious mental health issues which were on full display in the video. Noncompliance and aggressive statements and posture are going to be a problem that the officer recognized. Assaulting and attempting to overpower and kill a police officer is going to end badly and the perp got what he deserved, and the officer used more restraint than I would have in the same situation. We all have choices in life and the perp made ALL the wrong ones.

↩ ∞
Manarii October 20, 2023, 7:50 am

I don’t know why the cop had to escalate a traffic ticket to an arrest. Cop’s fault – a bit stupid on his part.

↩ ∞
- Dave October 20, 2023, 11:16 am
  
  Apply for a new brain.
  
  ↩ ∞
- Viet Vet October 20, 2023, 1:02 pm
  
  Try walking a mile in their shoes (cops) before you make dumbass statements.
  
  ↩ ∞
Stony October 20, 2023, 7:48 am

He had him down , why not use the taser, but he was really choking the officer too, not a good situation at all.

↩ ∞
- Brian October 21, 2023, 6:14 am
  
  By the time he was “down” he had already been shot. The shot was fired while he was actively choking the officer. Once he had been shot the taser would have been excessive.
  
  ↩ ∞
D. E. Day October 20, 2023, 7:47 am

When I viewed the video, it didn’t appear to me that Cure appeared to be black. Nevertheless, he had the option and was encouraged by the officer to comply with instructions. His death is Cure’s own fault because he didn’t comply with the lawful commands of the deputy.

↩ ∞
- Mel October 20, 2023, 8:12 am
  
  Yes!
  
  ↩ ∞
Tim October 20, 2023, 7:45 am

If the perpetrator in this case had been white, we wouldn’t even be having this discussion. Wrong is wrong and right is right regardless of race.

↩ ∞
Jay October 20, 2023, 7:28 am

“Just because you’re Black should not be the determining factor whether you get a death sentence for a traffic stop.”
If you watch the video, you will see that the above quote is totally false! Mr. Cure got himself shot for attacking an officer and trying, for all appearances, to tear his head off. The shooting was more than justified with no bearing on skin color.

↩ ∞
- Kevin October 20, 2023, 7:57 am
  
  It was a setup. Obviously, Dodge trucks are racist.
  
  ↩ ∞
- Mel October 20, 2023, 8:14 am
  
  Yes!
  
  ↩ ∞
Bakerc7 October 20, 2023, 7:22 am

OMG! Refuse officer’s command, wave arm in a slapping motion. The waving arms while moving to back of truck. Just to add to the tension?
Then attack officer. No wonder this got out of control. Over a speeding ticket?? If he had not been driving 100mph. Or not been belligerent. Or not attack officer. He would be alive right now! I think this was suicide by cop.

↩ ∞
MARC MILLER October 19, 2023, 4:59 pm

Mr. Cure had a choice, and he made a bad one. He could have complied with the officer’s instructions. His choice. Nothing to do with race. Having worked the streets as an LEO for over 20 years, those that comply don’t have an issue. The family & lawyer are making an issue that is not there by the video, regardless of the reason for the stop. And the media inflames the issue.

↩ ∞

Send this to a friend

GUNSAMERICA DIGEST TODAY

Was It Justified? The Officer-Involved Shooting of Leonard Allan Cure

Dash Cam Footage Released?

Leonard Allan Cure: The Man Behind the Incident

Was It Justified?

Related Posts: