On October 18, 2015, Corey Jones, a 31-year-old drummer and housing inspector, was waiting for a tow truck beside his broken-down car on an I-95 off-ramp in Palm Beach Gardens. A man in plain clothes pulled up in an unmarked van, got out, and within seconds fired six shots. Three struck Jones, who died at the scene. The man was Nouman Raja, a Palm Beach Gardens police officer who never identified himself as police. Our firm represented the Jones family alongside attorneys Benjamin Crump, Daryl Parks, and Skinner Louis, serving as local counsel in Palm Beach County. Ten years later, here is what the case changed.
Our Role
As local counsel, our firm handled nearly everything the case required on the ground in Palm Beach County. We organized community stakeholders for peaceful protests and public demonstrations in the weeks after the shooting. We appeared on behalf of the family as a spokesperson to the press, and spoke on panels about the case and about policing. And we served as the family’s liaison with the State Attorney’s Office and the investigating agencies while the criminal investigation was underway. That combination of community organizing, public advocacy, and day-to-day work with prosecutors is what a case of this kind demands, and it is work we continue to do for families today.
The Criminal Case
Raja was charged with manslaughter and attempted first-degree murder. In 2019, a jury convicted him on both counts, and he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. It was the first conviction of a Florida police officer for an on-duty shooting in roughly three decades. A recording from Jones’s roadside assistance call captured the encounter and contradicted the officer’s account that he had identified himself.
The Civil Case
The family’s civil claims were brought against the City of Palm Beach Gardens and the officer. In 2023, the City agreed to a $2 million settlement. The case illustrated how federal civil rights claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and Florida claims under section 768.28 work together, and why the state’s sovereign immunity cap of $200,000 per person makes the federal claim essential in serious cases.
What Changed
- Plainclothes policing. The case drew national attention to the danger of plainclothes officers in unmarked vehicles confronting civilians without identifying themselves. Agencies across Florida reviewed policies on when plainclothes officers may initiate contact and how they must identify themselves.
- Body cameras. Raja was not wearing a body camera. The case became part of the push for body-worn cameras across South Florida agencies, most of which now use them.
- Accountability. The conviction showed that a Florida jury would hold an officer criminally responsible when the evidence contradicted the officer’s account. Civil juries and city attorneys took note.
What Has Not Changed
Florida’s sovereign immunity caps have been frozen at $200,000 per person and $300,000 per incident since 2010. In 2026, the Legislature passed a bill to raise them, but the Governor vetoed it in July. Families still must rely on federal claims, and on the Legislature’s claim bill process, to recover full value from a government defendant. Qualified immunity remains the main defense officers raise in federal court.
Media Coverage
The case was covered by The New York Times, USA Today, CBS, The Palm Beach Post, WPTV, and others. See the Corey Jones case page for the full coverage list and photographs.
How The Injury Advocates Can Help
We represent families in police shooting and excessive force cases across South Florida. Your consultation is free, and you owe no fees or costs unless we win.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to the officer who shot Corey Jones?
Nouman Raja was convicted of manslaughter and attempted first-degree murder in 2019 and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Did the family receive compensation?
Yes. The City of Palm Beach Gardens settled the family’s civil claims for $2 million in 2023.
What was the significance of the case?
It was the first conviction of a Florida officer for an on-duty shooting in about 30 years, and it prompted policy reviews of plainclothes policing and body cameras across the state.
Related: Learn more about our Corey Jones case practice.
Kweku Darfoor is the founder of The Injury Advocates (Darfoor Law Firm, P.A.) and a Florida personal injury attorney with more than a decade of experience representing seriously injured people and their families. This content is for general information and is not legal advice.
