Georgia Deputy Who Killed Exonerated Man Faces Unrelated Civil Rights Charges

A Georgia sheriff’s lawman who fatally changeable a man who had been exonerated and freed from situation has been indicted connected unrelated civilian authorities charges, national prosecutors said Thursday.

The civilian authorities counts against Buck Aldridge are not related to nan fatal shooting of nan exonerated man, Leonard Cure, who Aldridge killed during a struggle aft a postulation stop successful 2023. No criminal charges were revenge successful that case.

The national indictment returned by a expansive assemblage successful Georgia announced Thursday charges Aldridge pinch 13 counts, including 4 counts of deprivation of authorities nether colour of law.

Then-Georgia lawman Buck Aldridge points a taser astatine Leonard Cure during a postulation stop.Camden County Sheriff's Office

He is accused of utilizing excessive group arrested connected 4 occasions, involving 3 victims. He is besides accused of preparing “multiple” misleading reports to warrant nan usage of force, nan U.S. Attorney’s Office for nan Southern District of Georgia said successful a statement.

The indictment alleges that successful 2021 utilized a taser connected 1 personification without justification and kicked that person; and that nan aforesaid twelvemonth he utilized a taser connected personification who was already handcuffed.

Aldridge is besides accused of punching a 3rd unfortunate successful nan look without ineligible justification successful 2022, and of many times utilizing a taser connected that aforesaid unfortunate aft he had stopped resisting arrest.

The Camden County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday that Aldridge has been relieved of his duties effective immediately.

“The Camden County Sheriff’s Office is committed to transparency and accountability astatine each level,” Sheriff Kevin Chaney said successful a statement.

Aldridge was indicted connected 4 counts of deprivation of authorities nether colour of rule and 7 counts of falsification of records.

Federal tribunal records did not show an lawyer for Aldridge, and did not show immoderate events aliases plea successful nan lawsuit announced Thursday.

Aldridge fatally changeable Cure, 53, connected Oct. 16, 2023, aft Aldridge pulled complete Cure's pickup motortruck connected Interstate 95 adjacent nan Georgia-Florida statement for speeding and location was a struggle, officials person said and video showed.

District Attorney Keith Higgins, who reviewed assemblage camera and different evidence, successful February announced location would beryllium nary criminal charges successful nan case. He told The Associated Press that “use of deadly unit astatine that constituent was objectively reasonable fixed that he was being overpowered astatine that time."

Body camera video released successful that lawsuit shows Aldridge threatening to usage a taser against Cure during an argument, and Aldridge telling Cure that he is nether apprehension for speeding and reckless driving.

Dash cam video shows Cure successful a beingness struggle pinch Aldridge and Cure placing his manus connected nan officer's look and pushing his caput backmost earlier Aldridge changeable him.

The shooting astatine nan clip was criticized by Cure's family, who said nan shooting was unnecessary. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said astatine nan clip that Cure initially complied until learning he would beryllium placed nether arrest.

Three years earlier he was fatally shot, Cure was released from a Florida situation aft 16 years connected an equipped robbery conviction. He had been sentenced to life.

Cure was recovered to person been wrongfully convicted successful 2020.

A reappraisal by authorities which had sought nan Innocence Project of Florida recovered that done an ATM receipt and different evidence, Cure was miles distant from nan robbery. The Broward County prosecutor’s agency concluded that Cure did not perpetrate nan crime.