Leonard Cure, 53, had been out of jail for three and a half years following his exoneration when he was pulled over for speeding on Interstate 95 in Camden County early Monday, according to a Bureau of Georgia Research news release.

The New York Times stated that Cure was driving at least 90 mph in a 70 mph zone, citing a sheriff’s department spokesperson. According to the GBI statement, Cure stepped out of his car at the officer’s request and initially complied, but turned violent after learning he was being arrested.

According to the agency, the officer used a Taser and a baton on Cure in an attempt to control him after the guy began hitting him.

The cop pulled his revolver on Cure and opened fire after he refused to comply with his directions and continued to resist. Paramedics were brought to the site and attempted to save Cure’s life, but he died as a result of his injuries.

The officer who shot and killed Cure was not identified, and it was unclear whether race had a factor in the event, which is being probed by the GBI. It was unknown whether or not body camera footage of the traffic stop existed or would be released.

Report of Investigation

Cure was represented in his exoneration case by the Florida Innocence Project, which issued a statement grieving his death on Monday. “We are devastated by the news that our client, Leonard Cure, was tragically shot and killed this morning,” he said, adding that he had a job, was in the process of purchasing a home, and hoped to attend college to study musical production. Cure was found guilty of armed robbery at a Walgreens drugstore in Dania Beach, Florida, in 2003.

After the first jury deadlocked, a second jury convicted him. Cure was sentenced to life in jail after being convicted of robbery and other crimes in the past. Cure sought the Broward State Attorney’s Office’s newly formed Conviction Review Unit to re-investigate his case in December 2019, citing new information and issues about how he was selected as a suspect in the heist.

A few months later, the Review Unit petitioned a judge to free Cure, claiming that it had discovered “troubling” disclosures that the guy had good alibis that had previously been ignored and that there was no physical evidence or reliable witnesses to back him up. located on the scene.

According to court documents, an independent review panel of five solicitors agreed, saying that the case against Cure “raises a reasonable doubt as to his guilt and that he is probably innocent.” Cure’s convictions and sentence were overturned by a judge, and all charges against him were withdrawn three days later, making him the first inmate exonerated by Broward’s review unit. “I’m looking forward to putting this situation behind me and moving forward with my life,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to putting this situation behind me and moving on with my life,” Cure said at the time to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Cure, who lived in the Atlanta suburbs, earned $817,000 in compensation for his unjust conviction and imprisonment in August of this year, as approved by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in June. Seth Miller, executive director of the Florida Innocence Project, said he learned about Cure’s death via his family.

“I can only imagine what it’s like to know his son is innocent and to watch him be sentenced to life in prison, be exonerated and … then be told that once he’s released, he’ll be shot to death,” he said. Cure was lauded by Broward State Attorney Harold Pryor as “a smart, funny, and kind person.”

Cure was described by Broward State Attorney Harold Pryor as “a smart, funny, and kind person.” “After our office released and exonerated him, he visited prosecutors in our office and participated in training to help our staff do their jobs as fairly and thoroughly as possible,” Pryor told the Sun Sentinel in a statement.