What to Know
- Raja was convicted in the October 2015 shooting death of Corey Jones along Interstate 95.
A former Palm Beach Gardens police officer will remain behind bars while appealing his conviction for the 2015 shooting death of a black motorist.
Family members for Corey Jones told NBC affiliate WPTV that the judge denied a motion by lawyers for Nouman Raja that would have granted him a chance at bond during the appeal process.
Raja's lead attorney told Judge Joseph Marx on Wednesday that the fired Palm Beach Gardens officer has surrendered his passport and is not a flight risk. Richard Lubin said Raja abided by all rules while under house arrest before his trial for shooting the 31-year-old Jones.
Raja was convicted in the October 2015 shooting death of Jones along Interstate 95. Prosecutors said that Raja, who approached the scene of a broken down vehicle rented by Jones, acted aggressively and forced Jones to pull out his handgun.
Officials say Jones had a valid concealed weapons permit at the time of the incident.
Raja, who was in plain clothes at the time and in an unmarked van, opened fire and killed Jones at the scene. He later told investigators that Jones pulled out his weapon while the FBI said it was never fired.
Local
Prosecutor Brian Fernandes told Marx that Raja abided by the house arrest rules because he thought he would be acquitted. He said Raja now has incentive to flee and has contacts in the Middle East.
Lawyers for Raja, who is currently in state custody in Doral after being sentenced to 25 years in prison last month, filed paperwork for an appeal earlier this month arguing that the jurors were never instructed on justifiable use of deadly force by an officer among several other issues.
