By Terry Spencer
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The attorney for a fired police officer said he should not stand trial for fatally shooting a stranded black motorist, saying the slaying was tragic but justified.
Attorney Richard Lubin began the two-day hearing Monday for former Palm Beach Gardens Police Officer Nouman Raja by saying Corey Jones pointed his gun at Raja after he identified himself as a police officer. He said Raja should be protected by Florida’s so-called stand-your-ground law.
Judge Samantha Schosberg Feuer will decide whether to dismiss manslaughter and other charges against Raja for the 2015 shooting of Jones, who was legally carrying a handgun.
Raja was working undercover in plainclothes. Prosecutors say he never identified himself as a police officer, making Jones think he was a robber. Raja is of South Asian descent.