Corey Jones’ family to police: ‘Come forward and tell the truth’

» RELATED: Complete coverage of the Corey Jones shooting on Palm Beach Post

Jones, who was black, was fatally shot early Sunday by Palm Beach Gardens Police Officer Nouman Raja. Jones was driving south on Interstate 95 after playing a gig with the Future Prezidents band in Jupiter when his SUV experienced mechanical problems and he pulled over on the PGA Boulevard exit ramp.

At about 3:15 a.m. Raja came upon Jones’ SUV, which he thought was abandoned, according to a Palm Beach Gardens police statement. As Raja, in plain clothes, got out of his unmarked car he was confronted by Jones, who was armed with a gun, police said. Raja then shot Jones, according to police.

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The slaying of young black men by police has grown into a national issue since the August 2014 slaying of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. In many cases, videotape played a large role in stirring anger, particularly among blacks. No one has produced any videotape showing what happened between Jones and Raja. There was no dashboard camera nor body camera, police said.

Lacking details of the shooting, Jones’ family and friends have grown frustrated. The family hired civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, a partner in the Tallahassee-based law firm Parks & Crump, LLC.

Crump represented the family of Trayvon Martin, a black teen who was killed Feb. 26, 2012, in central Florida by George Zimmerman. Crump also represented the family of Brown, the 18-year-old man killed in Ferguson.

Three other attorneys — Daryl D. Parks, Crump’s partner, Kweku Darfoor of Fort Lauderdale and Skinner Louis of Orlando are also part of the family’s legal team, according to a statement released by Crump’s law firm.

Jones’ family, through the statement, thanked those who have reached out in support of Jones.

“Corey Jones was a God-fearing man who dedicated his life to doing the right thing. 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,” the statement read. “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.”

Surrounded by family members on Tuesday, Banks described Jones as a “lovely grandchild” who grew up in churches and in Boynton Beach. He urged the public to look at Jones’ record, which shows no criminal charges had ever been filed against him.

He called upon Raja to tell the truth in the investigation being conducted by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

“So the thing which happened to him, I can’t explain it, I can’t understand it, but by the help of God and our friends and loved ones, please feel us. We need your help in such a time as this,” Banks said.

About 15 minutes before Jones’ grandfather spoke outside the church, Palm Beach Gardens Police held a news conference. It was the first time the agency had spoken publicly about the shooting since it released a short statement Monday. Banks declined to comment on what was said at that news conference.

Earlier in the day, Jones’ immediate family gathered at a Pompano Beach home, where Jones’ friend Clarence Ellington expressed the frustration he and the family felt toward the police investigation.

“It’s been about 58 hours since he was pronounced dead, and we don’t know about anything from the police department,” Ellington said. “Where’s his car? Where’s his drums?”

Ellington said Jones’ drums had been inside his gray Hyundai Sante Fe.

Banks said the family is trusting in God that justice will be served. He said the best thing that could come from this situation is “the truth.”

“The truth is going to make you free. And that’s the only thing that’s going to set us free. I plead to that individual that he is going to be accountable for what he has done,” Banks said. “If he had done right, or whether he’s done (wrong), he is going to be accountable for it. So come forward and tell the truth.”