Leonard Cure was 53-years-old when he was gunned down by 43-year-old Camden County Sheriff’s Office Staff Sgt. Buck William Aldridge in southeast Georgia. 3 years prior to his death, Cure was exonerated after serving 16 years for a crime that he didn’t commit. Aldridge was never criminally charged and District Attorney Keith Higgins publicly stated that he believed the shooting to be completely justified.
Aldridge has probably been living good since then. Enjoying his life without a care. However, if you owe accountability, regardless of how you long dodge your debt, at some point, the bill comes due.
According to 11Alive, a federal grand jury has indicted Aldridge on charges of use of excessive force and falsifying official police records.
“Law enforcement officers are entrusted with the authority to uphold the law — not to break it,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent Paul Brown in a release. “When that trust is violated, the FBI will act. No badge puts anyone above the Constitution. We remain committed to investigating civil rights violations and holding accountable those who abuse their power.”
These federal charges are not just a result of the fatal Cure shooting, they are an amalgamation of infractions that he has allegedly committed in four separate arrests during his time as a deputy.
However, as BOSSIP previously reported, Cure’s family has filed a $16 million civil rights law suit against Aldridge and then-Sheriff Jim Proctor. This latest indictment certainly isn’t the worst thing that could happen for the chances of finding success in that endeavor according to Georgia Public Broadcasting’s report.
“I think it helps our case tremendously considering it shows he had this propensity for excessive use of force and a propensity to lie about it on his reports,” Harry Daniels, the family’s lawyer, said of the indictment.
We’ll continue to monitor both the civil rights lawsuit and the Aldridge indictment.