He Was Wrongfully Imprisoned for 16 Years. Then a Cop Killed Him During a Traffic Stop
Rolling StoneOct 17, 2023
The Facts
Leonard Allan Cure, a Black man who was exonerated after serving 16 years for an armed robbery conviction, was shot dead by a Georgia sheriff’s deputy Monday during a traffic stop.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said Cure was driving to Florida on Monday morning to visit his mother when a Camden County deputy stopped him because he was speeding.
The Spin
Left narrative
This is a tragedy that epitomizes the deep systemic racism against Black men in America. Cure barely got three years of freedom before law enforcement took his life. Police abuse continues to be a scourge of US society, and an investigation must lead to reform so Cure didn’t die in vain.
Right narrative
Evidence suggests the sheriff’s deputy did not intend to kill Cure. He tried other means to subdue the suspect before firing his weapon. The GBI will conduct its investigation, and we shouldn't jump to conclusions before it's complete. Cure had a difficult life, but the police should be considered innocent for now until other proof surfaces.