“He and his family deserved better,” the Innocence Project of Florida said in a statement. “Lenny’s life mattered.”
Cure’s quest to rebuild his life after being wrongfully convicted in 2003 ended tragically on the shoulder of Interstate 95 in South Georgia on Monday morning.
On Wednesday, the Camden County, Georgia, sheriff’s office released body-worn and dash camera videos of the moments leading up to the shooting.
In the dash cam video, the deputy begins pursuing Cure with his sirens on after Cure’s vehicle passes his. The pursuit lasts about one minute and 20 seconds.
This man’s life was a tragedy. I feel so sorry for him. Mistreated the whole damn way.
Mistreated the whole damn way.
This guy had a long history of violence before the crime for which he was eventually exonerated. He should have known better than the get violent with the police by this point. Yeah it’s very unfortunate that it led to this but he probably was far from an innocent. Sometimes the bleeding heart types around here remind me of the lady who decided it was her moral obligation to befriend her mother’s killer, only to eventually be killed by her mother’s killer.
Watch the video before making an imbecilic response.
Talk about a small minded thought, holy shit… How about you go and wrongfully spend 16 years in prison. You can’t draw similarities between another entirely different situation, they are not even closely the same. You’re being a big idiot with this “hot take”…
far from an innocent
so execute him?
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After having his entire life destroyed by police and the prison system, I don’t blame him for being terrified. Not to mention how mentally broken he must have been at that point from being in a cage for a crime he didn’t commit. Perhaps you’re not aware of how fucked up a person can become after something like that. This man needed years of therapy. What he got instead were bullets.
So you watched the video and made an imbecilic response. Irony so rich it cures anemia.
Honestly, I understand why he shot. The cop came in a bit hot at first but he didn’t immediately use a gun. It only came to that after Lenny started winning the brawl and after attempting to use a Taser instead.
He even started to apply first aid afterwards. So I think the cop did okay here.
Nah fuck that. It was verbal until the cop tased him, then its not exactly shocking that it causes him to react. The cop was screaming the whole time, no de-escalation at all. Just get him to the side of the road, safe and talk while waiting for backup. It’s just more evidence of undertrained US cops. There was no reason for this man to die.
Absolutely!! Backup took 4 minutes. Leonard just wanted to know why he was getting arrested instead of just getting a ticket. He obviously hated cops, but he was perfectly willing to talk before he was tazed.
The CNN video is very deceptively edited. The full clip shows way more combativeness and non-compliance from Cure.
I didn’t watch the CNN video, I watched the one you linked. Yes, he was being an asshole, but he wasn’t threatening. His hands were still on the truck. The officer tazered him because he wouldn’t put his hands behind his back, right? He had already called for backup, though, right? All he had to do was continue to let Leonard argue with him until cover arrived. Backup didn’t arrive “too late,” the officer escalated the situation “too early.” It was literally only a couple of minutes into the stop. Some de-escalation on the officers part and the story would have been different.
I think that’s a reasonable take. It still could have been prevented by Cure simply complying with the orders- the court is the proper place to fight that- and I think the officer was well justified in attempting to arrest, but he should have only used the taser and escalated once backup arrived or he was forced to. I agree that was probably a mistake, but at the same time, with a person that combative and non-compliant, it’s difficult to say for certain.
The previous time he complied with orders from cops, he wrongfully lost 16 years of his life behind bars, ruining all future prospects. I 1000% understand why he would be asking a lot of questions with his first interaction with cops after years of abuse in a completrly for-profit system that rewards abusers.
We have no idea if he complied before. Given the fact that his sentence was only so long due to a previous record, it seems more likely that not complying was his usual stance. I don’t know this for sure, obviously, but it does seem more likely.The previous statement is misinformation, I believe. One of the attorneys in the exoneration said that he complied with the original arrest and thought he’d be able to simply explain that he wasn’t the robber, which obviously did not go in his favor. While it definitely helps explain his actions, I still do not believe assaulting an officer is the right path to take, though I do understand it better now.But there’s such a vast gulf between “complying” and “attempting to kill (or at least cause serious bodily harm to) an officer” that I have a hard time finding the officer at fault here. Why did he flee? Why did he refuse lawful commands? Why did he give his name as “Yahweh” as far as I can hear? Why did he attempt to assault the officer after being tased? What was he planning to do to the officer had he not fired, as the repeated “Yeah bitch” suggested very violent intent to me. These are all valid questions that I hope we get answers to, but it’s unlikely that we will. All any of us can do is watch the video- which is the most direct evidence of the truth- and form our opinions based on that.
Even on that video, the cop sucked the entire time (due to the lack of good training). You are alone on a busy highway, the last thing you want to do is start a fight, you don’t even want to be on the shoulder like that, it’s far too dangerous. No matter how you wanna show this, the guy should never have been put in a position to be shot.
The article says Cure was going at 100 MPH for 80 seconds after the officer put on his lights. Cure pulled over in the end, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a chase, which is why the cop ordered him out so quickly. 100 MPH is already more than just a speeding ticket, that’s reckless endangerment. In general, 15 MPH above the speed limit is considered reckless. Add that to the chase, and that’s why Cure was under arrest rather than just a ticket. I agree with you, the cop did nothing wrong here. He gave lawful orders, escalated force reasonably, attempted both his taser and his baton before firing as a last resort when he began to lose the fight and his own life became threatened, and administered first aid immediately.
I’ve been pulled over for going faster than 100mph. 103 to be exact. Didn’t get arrested. It’s 100% at the officer’s discretion.
A couple of years ago, I was listening to music in earbuds and didn’t notice cop tucked in behind me for a couple of miles, while doing 126 on a motorcycle with some of the baffles removed. Because I’m of the Eddie Haskell phenotype, I only got dinged for 85 and the cop even stuck around for a few minutes to chat about the bike.
One of the reasons I’m solidly ACAB is that I almost never get popped for tickets, and when I do, they’re always knocked down by the cop to de minimis charges. Of the tens of times I’ve been stopped since the late-‘70s, I’ve eaten maybe six total tickets. Cops aren’t fair.
Yeah, I got dropped from 103 in a 70 to 79. Cop asked me why I was speeding, and I truthfully told him that it was a beautiful day, had good tunes going, and was just in a great mood and didn’t realize I was going that fast. He was a marked state trooper that was driving with traffic and I blew right past him.
I rarely get tickets because I have veteran plates and a veteran drivers license, most cops just give me a warning. Got stopped three times in one day trying to get out of Texas, all warnings. Last cop of the day gave me a weather forecast. I guarantee if I wasn’t a white dude with vet affiliations I would get way more tickets. Cops aren’t fair.
Funny, I’ve only been pulled over once on my bike, and I was just keeping up with traffic, which was going 80 to be fair… But he claimed I was going 97, so I had to go to court, where he lied his ass off to the judge, and I had to eat a $400 ticket plus whatever it did to my insurance… and I’m very white too, if I wasn’t, who knows what that piece of shit might have done.
Did you also flee, though? That’s the other thing. He kept driving for well over a minute before finally pulling over. That was the reason for the arrest, and then when he resisted arrest, only then did the officer escalate.
How long did it take you to pull over after you got lit up?
100 MPH is already more than just a speeding ticket, that’s reckless endangerment.
No it’s not. Here’s the proof.
You technically correct which is the best kind of correct, it’s not automatic. There is evidence to suggest that in general the 30 mph over the limit would have resulted in a reckless driving arrest.
Either way whether it would have been has nothing to do with how the situation played out.
Do you have a link to that evidence? I’d be interested in seeing it.
Here’s the legal precedent. Travis v, State
There’s anecdotal evidence as well.
https://getjerry.com/questions/how-fast-is-considered-reckless-driving-in-technically
https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/qap7u1/got_2_traffic_tickets_speeding_and_reckless/
https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/9egs7j/ga_speeding_and_reckless_driving/
There’s also evidence that they don’t always determine reckless driving at high speeds, especially when targeting for that en masse it seems.
It’s really officer discretion based on the wording of their reckless driving law. Either way, as I said, whether it would have been or not doesn’t matter in regards to how this stop played out.
That doesn’t prove that it isn’t considered reckless driving. Excessive speeding is reckless driving. They haven’t put an exact number to it and the statute is vague but this lawyers page tries listing some examples.
The link I provided is clear … if on an interstate highway he’d had to have been going 35 mph over the speed limit for charges to be applied. He was going 30 mph over so he should have been issued a $500 ticket and a court date (as further fines could be assessed by a judge).
The cop murdered him with exactly zero cause. A classic #ACAB.
If 85mph counts as a super speeder, how do you think they view going 100mph? Also your link does say:
Depending on the circumstances, a speeding violation can lead to a “reckless driving” conviction.
It’s not like not doing more than 34mph over exempts you from reckless driving when doing 100mph. No where does it say you have to be doing 35mph over for that.
Nowhere does it say you have to be doing 35mph over for that.
Yes it does … here.
Quote the part that says that for me. I’m not finding it.
He also fled and resisted arrest. Both arrestable offenses. If he would have promptly pulled over, it would almost certainly have been a citation at worst. He fled at 100 MPH for over a minute before finally pulling over. Also, how is an officer being choked out on the side of the highway defending himself with a taser, then a baton (while actively being strangled and bent nearly backwards), and only THEN a gun, “zero cause”?
A whole minute?? Wow! That like OJ’s high speed chase.
/s
Any fleeing is still fleeing. I don’t understand why you think this was an unjustified shooting. He was putting every other driver at risk, refused lawful orders, and threatened the officer’s life while saying “Yeah bitch, yeah bitch.” Not exactly a paragon of humanity here.
He literally had his hands around the police officers neck.
After the cop escalated shit way beyond what it needed to be.
The fuck a traffic stop for a speeding ticket should become a cop murdering yet another Black man.
Maybe black guys shouldn’t be out there acting like violent thwacked out psychopaths?
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You have the order incorrect. The cop started the brawl by Tasing.
Even a short stint in prison is a traumatic experience and this guy served 16 years of a life sentence when he was innocent. It broke him and no amount of money could bring him back. This cop is not to blame for his death but the entire justice system and the part of society that didn’t want him back regardless.
The cop immediately escalated the encounter. He had hundreds of opportunities where he could have not taken Cure’s life.
It’s that he didn’t pull over instantly. Cops are taught resistance or even slowness to comply is a threat to their authority and merits escalation. If the cop is not completely in control of the situation (or if they feel they aren’t), they’re taught to take control of it aggressively, regardless of the context of the situation. Resistance is a potential threat to be extinguished quickly, ask questions later.
They’re taught to be hyper aggressive cowards.
Here’s the full video. Please give it a watch.
I once sped past a cop driving in an unmarked car (cruising in the left lane and not passing anyone). She put her lights on and I figured “well I’ve been caught, no sense in trying to slow all the way down” so I reasonably took like 30 seconds to find a place to pull over, driving at regular traffic speed.
She asked me if I was trying to run… Like, no, I’m just looking for a place to stop that isn’t the side of the road.
Cops almost instantly expect you to run or get violent, which causes people to get defensive anyway.
This cop is completely and entirely to blame for his death.
Here’s what I see when I watch this: a cop fights valiantly for his life in a situation of his own making.
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So I guess no one cares that this was an obvious hit job
Dude he was fighting the cop with his hands around the cop’s neck. The cop was doing 65+ when he passed. You can tell he was speeding. I get that going in for reckless driving may be traumatic for somebody with his history, but the cop doesn’t know that. Someone of sound mind tries to be cooperative when pulled over. The guy was not that, and as all things happening in the heat of the moment, it quickly got out of control. How in the fuck was this a hit job?
Because he just got released from being wrongfully imprisoned, was driving while Black and was killed for it. Every cop in the nation knows who the hell he is. And racists and tyrants don’t like those who escape their wicked claws.
Even under your interpretation of the situation, it’s still wrong, as white people who do the same are rarely if ever killed for it while Black people are.
Most people will also not put their hands around the cop’s neck. You really believe the cop knew who he was immediately when he passed the cop doing at least 20 more mph than the cop was? I would never tell a cop “no I’m not” if he told me I’m going to jail for reckless driving. That’s not cooperating. I guess I’m a pussy
A white dude could literally have put his hands around that cop’s neck and would have been arrested without being murdered.
It literally doesn’t even matter what Mr. Cure did, that cop had no business pulling him over for any reason. Police doing literally anything to him for any reason, aside from Mr. Cure purposefully killing innocent people (cops are never innocent) is a purposeful attempt on his life because there’s no way they would not have known who he was or wanted him to suffer for escaping their clutches.
Mr. Cure’s murder was a message – you will comply and submit to us doing anything we want to you and even if you legally manage to exercise your rights and escape, we will still come for you. There is no escape, bitch. Bend over.
That is what those cops hoped to accomplish and it sadly worked.
I would never tell a cop “no I’m not” if he told me I’m going to jail for reckless driving. That’s not cooperating. I guess I’m a pussy
You need to do some meditation and self-reflection and decide for yourself if existing in fear of other people’s wrath is the way you want to live your life. Cops can’t just do what they want to everybody and we the people have rights that supercede any authority cops claim to have. Nothing cops do is constitutional and you and I both know that. Cops are always monsters and never do anything good – it is an immutable rule of the universe.
You’re a fucking nutball.
This wasn’t even just “hands around the neck”, he was actively choking the officer, who first tried the baton to get him off and then finally restored to the gun.
It’s not a fucking hit job it was self-preservation in the face of a threat to his life.
If it’s a message, maybe that message should be “don’t try and guy with a gun to death, especially a cop”
You’re not listening.
What Mr. Cure did was irrelevant because if anything he did, including killing police officers, was done by a white dude, the white dude would have been arrested and still alive while Mr. Cure and any other Black man would have been murdered without hesitation.
It is that simple.
But we both know you’re not listening because you’re probably some racist ass who thinks it’s okay for police to murder Black men, especially high-profile ones who expose the tyranny of their system.
No you’re just a racist idiot who thinks everything boils down to black or white.
Nobody is going to stop and say “I guess I should let this guy choke me to death because he’s white”
Get a brain
Some people have a hard time believing this, but white people are sometimes killed by police too. The statistics are that black people are killed at a rate approximately twice as high as their occurrence in the population. Being white does NOT automatically mean you can get away with whatever you want and are never treated poorly by police.
The guy clearly had the upper hand on the cop and was dominating the cop. If you believe the cop had no threat to perceive based on that video, idk what to say. I’ve seen plenty of other races getting shot for acting the same way. I’ve also seen black people get arrested after fighting. In the heat of the moment it’s hard to make rational decisions especially since your taser isn’t working on the person fighting you. I hope you’re never in that scenario.
