Jones family gets $2M settlement from Palm Beach Gardens

PALM BEACH GARDENS – The city of Palm Beach Gardens has reached a $2 million settlement with the family of Corey Jones, who was killed by a city police officer in October 2015.

Officer Nouman Raja shot the 31-year-old Jones to death after the Boynton Beach man's car broke down on the southbound Interstate 95 exit ramp at PGA Boulevard.

Jones' family sued Palm Beach Gardens for allegedly violating Jones' constitutional rights by not properly training Raja on critical steps he should have taken to handle the situation. Raja was working a late-night shift, wearing plain clothes and driving an unmarked van when he confronted Jones. He did not identify himself as a police officer and shot Jones six times as he tried to run away.

The incident brought widespread protests across Palm Beach County and led Raja to become the first Florida police officer in three decades to be convicted in connection with an on-duty shooting.

The settlement, reached Thursday, occurred through mediation and is for the full amount covered by the city's insurance policy. The insurance carrier offered to pay that amount since 2016, the city said in a prepared statement.

The move settles "all claims against all defendants in this matter. The City has incurred no liability, financial or otherwise," the statement said.

"We remain sorrowful that the criminal actions of Officer Raja led to the senseless death of Corey Jones," said Mayor Chelsea Reed said as part of the city's statement. "Although we cannot undo this tragic loss, it is our sincere hope that this settlement will aid in the continued healing of the family and our communities."

Jones was a drummer in a band, the Future Prezidents, and was headed home after a gig at Johnny Mango's Tiki Bar and Grill in Jupiter on the day he was killed.

Raja's 25-year prison sentence and conviction on charges of manslaughter and attempted murder were upheld on appeal.

The $2 million sum falls short of other settlements stemming from police shootings.

The city of Minneapolis paid $27 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the family of George Floyd, 46, who was killed in 2020 when a police officer kneeled on his neck for more than nine minutes.

The city of Louisville paid $12 million to the family of 26-year-old Breonna Taylor, who officers fatally shot during a 2020 raid of her apartment.

Ben Crump, one of Jones' lawyers, represented both families. Kweku Darfoor, another of the attorneys representing the Jones family, declined to comment on the settlement Friday.