BRUNSWICK, Ga. — The family of Leonard Cure, an exonerated man who was fatally shot by a Camden County deputy on the side of Interstate 95 after a routine traffic stop in October, announced a federal lawsuit against the deputy who killed him on Tuesday in Brunswick.
Cure's family is being represented by nationally recognized Civil Rights attorneys Ben Crump and Harry Daniels, according to a news release.
Cure, who was 53-years-old at the time of his death, spent 16 years wrongfully incarcerated in Florida for an armed robbery in 2003, and was pulled over by Staff Sergeant Buck Aldridge for speeding and reckless driving on Oct. 16, 2023.
Less than a minute after pulling Cure over, Aldridge is heard on dashcam footage screaming for Cure to exit his vehicle.
When Cure got out, Aldridge ordered him to put his hands on the back of his vehicle. Cure refused and then Aldridge pulled out his stun gun. After Cure put his hands on the back of his vehicle, Aldridge told him to put his hands behind his back because he was under arrest.
"I'm not going to jail," said Cure, just before Aldridge deployed the stun gun on him while continuing to ask for his hands.
Cure lunged at the deputy, making swatting motions seemingly to remove the wire from the stun gun, and a struggle ensued between them that spilled onto the outside lane of I-95. Aldridge ultimately shot and killed Cure during the scuffle.
In the news conference Tuesday where the lawsuit was announced, Daniels said the lawsuit is against both Aldridge and Camden County Sheriff Jim Proctor who "allowed it [Cure's killing] to happen." He went on to say that the family is seeking damages in excess of $16 million, violations of the 4th Amendment and supervisor liability against the sheriff in the lawsuit.
"This should have never happened because Buck Aldridge has a history of violence and unlawful use of force while in uniform," Daniels said during the news conference. "The sheriff has created an environment where this is allowed, where Aldridge can stop a person on a simple citation and tase and shoot them, ultimately killing them. This is a bad orchard. Today, we are bringing accountability to the apple and the orchard."
Before working in Camden County, Aldridge was fired from the Kingsland Police Department for violating agency policies, including the use of necessary and appropriate force policy.
Family statements
Terrible, daunting, problem, hurt, overwhelmed and outrage were just a few of several words used by Cure's family during the news conference to describe the heartache they feel after Cure's killing.
"All I really want is justice for my brother," Cure's brother, Michael Cure said. "You cannot change what you tolerate. And with a racist, incompetent sheriff in charge, it will never change... never."
Cure's mother, Mary Cure, said "there's no peace to be had," adding that her son is on her mind "all day, every day."
"Money doesn't mean a damn thing to me, give me my son back!" Mary Cure said.
Cure's killing was the 80th officer-involved shooting the Georgia Bureau of Investigation investigated in 2023.
Just three years before his death, Cure was fully exonerated based on findings of "actual innocence" after spending 16 years in prison for an armed robbery at a Walgreens in Broward County he did not commit, according to the Innocence Project of Florida.
Larry Bruce with the Camden County Sheriff's Office issued the following statement to First Coast News after the news conference ended Tuesday:
"Staff Sgt. Aldridge has been assigned administrative duties with the fleet maintenance office currently. The GBI Investigative case file has been provided to the District Attorney’s Office, but no decision has been made regarding this case. No comments will be made concerning any civil litigation. Thanks LB"
Daniels said "we can't wait" on the DA to reach a conclusion in the case before making the decision to file the lawsuit because "lives are at stake."