Innocent Man Wrongfully Imprisoned In FL For 16 Years Killed By Deputy

FLORIDA — A man who was exonerated after being wrongfully imprisoned in Florida for 16 years was shot and killed by a Georgia deputy Monday during a traffic stop, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.

Authorities said a Camden County sheriff's deputy conducted the traffic stop around 7:30 a.m. on Interstate 95 north, south of mile marker 9.

The man who was fatally shot, identified by the GBI as 53-year-old Leonard Allan Cure, complied with commands and got out of his car.

Cure was wrongfully convicted in 2003 of robbing a Broward County, Florida, store at gunpoint, according to the Innocence Project. He was sentenced to life in prison before being exonerated in December 2020 "based on a finding of 'actual innocence,'" according to the organization.

The Innocence Project partnered with the Conviction Review Unit of the Broward County State Attorney's Office for Cure's exoneration.

The GBI said Cure followed deputies' orders until learning that he was being arrested.

"After not complying with the deputy's requests, the deputy tased Cure. Cure assaulted the deputy. The deputy used the Taser for a second time and an ASP baton; however, Cure still did not comply," the GBI said in a news release.

The deputy drew a gun and shot Cure, the GBI said. Emergency medical technicians treated Cure, however, he later died, the GBI said. It is unknown if he died at the scene or a hospital.

The GBI said no deputies were injured in the shooting.

The Innocence Project of Florida said Cure was driving to his Georgia home from Florida at the time of the traffic stop and shooting.

"Lenny was a great person who had already lost 16 years of his life to wrongful incarceration. And now this. He and his family deserved better. Lenny’s life mattered. We are completely devastated," the Innocence Project said in a Facebook post Monday.

"During this collaborative reinvestigation, the CRU determined that documentary evidence, in the form of an ATM receipt, proved that Lenny was miles away from the crime scene at the time of the robbery. The reinvestigation also concluded that a photo array shown to one of the victims contained multiple photos of Lenny and was therefore an unreliable, suggestive identification procedure. Based on these findings, the State of Florida recognized that Lenny was actually innocent and moved for his release and exoneration," the Innocence Project wrote.

Cure received an unknown amount of compensation on Aug. 9 for his time spent in prison, according to the organization. The State of Florida also apologized to Cure.

He relocated to an area near Atlanta, where he reconnected with his family, had begun working and was in the process of buying his first home.

"Lenny was doing well and aspired to attend college for music production and start a career in the music business. Sadly, his life was tragically cut short today," the Innocence Project said in the Monday post.

Once the GBI's investigation into Cure's death is complete, the case file will be given to the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.