Amid Outcry, PB Sheriff Asks for FBI Investigation Into Shooting of Corey Jones

Nearly a week after a police officer fatally shot a popular South Florida musician and amid rising community tensions, the sheriff investigating has requested the FBI join in examining the shooting.

Corey Jones was a drummer popular in the communities around Palm Beach Gardens, where he was fatally shot by a police officer early Sunday morning. Police have said Jones was armed and confronted the officer who shot him, but attorneys for Jones' family and community members have vocally expressed their doubts.

A West Palm Beach legal association that has called for an independent investigation of the shooting of Corey Jones hosted a town hall meeting Friday night to address those concerns.

"I want to know further, chief, how do we do this? What's the protocol? How do we make sure these people can't stand down," one town hall attendee said.

It was a passionate crowd at the meeting. One by one, attendees stood in front of the panel, sharing their concerns and questions over the shooting. Also in attendance was Trayvon Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton.

"If you have somebody that's on the side of the road and their car is broke down, it makes no sense why they are dead the next hour. It makes no sense," Fulton said. Her statements received the most reaction during the meeting.

Most of Jones' family members were present on Friday.

"We want justice for Corey, that's all I have to say. We want justice for Corey," said Sheila Banks, Jones' aunt.

"A lot of times, we look at these situations and we try to figure out why they happen. We don't need to figure that out. They need to figure out why they keep shooting us," Fulton said to a round of applause.

Investigators have said a report on what happened could take months, but Palm Beach Sheriff Ric Bradshaw announced Friday that he was seeking the FBI's "expertise" as the investigation begins.

"There have been many lessons learned from the tragic events that have occurred across the United States and there is nothing more important, now, than a comprehensive investigation process so we can ensure justice is served," read a Palm Beach Sheriff's Office statement attributed to Bradshaw and posted on Friday, before the town hall meeting

Jones was returning home from a concert he performed in Sunday when his car broke down and he pulled over. Police said Officer Nouman Raja had been investigating a string of burglaries in the area when he spotted what he thought was Jones' abandoned vehicle.

It is unclear what caused the confrontation in which Jones was shot by Raja, who was in plainclothes, but Chief Stephen Stepp has said Raja was "suddenly confronted by an armed subject."

Attorneys for Jones' family say he never fired his weapon and was shot at six times. On Thursday, a crowd of hundreds of people booed politicians who promised a full investigation into the shooting.

The law firm that hosted Friday night's meeting, F. Malcolm Cunningham, Sr. Bar Association, put Jones' death in the context of other police shootings that have drawn protests around the country.

"This killing raises justified questions as to the use of force in this instance," said the statement announcing the meeting.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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