What happened to Leonard Allan Cure? Family of exonerated Georgia man who was later shot files $16 million federal lawsuit

Leonard Allan Cure served 16 years in a Florida prison for a wrongfully convicted crime for which he was exonerated in 2020. Tragically, in October 2023, Cure, 53, almost three years into his newfound freedom, was shot and killed by Sheriff's Deputy Buck Aldridge during a routine traffic stop in Camden County.

Now, in a federal lawsuit filed against Deputy Buck Aldridge and the Camden County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, February 27, Cure's family sought damages for $16 million. The lawsuit also claimed that Camden County Sheriff Jim Proctor violated Cure's constitutional rights for hiring and failing to discipline Aldridge despite his "propensity for violence."

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Leonard Allan Cure was shot and killed by Deputy Buck Aldridge

According to the official lawsuit, the incident occurred around 7:30 a.m. on Monday, October 16, 2023, when Sheriff's Deputy Buck Aldridge noticed a gray speeding pickup truck while in his patrol vehicle at Interstate 95 South in Camden County. The pickup truck was driven by Leonard Allan Cure. Cure stopped the truck after a small pursuit of a little over a minute.

Dashcam and bodycam footage released by the Camden County Sheriff’s Office shows Aldridge screaming at Cure to get out. Once he did get out, Aldridge ordered him multiple times, with a taser pointed at him, to put his hands on the back of the truck. Leonard Allan Cure was then asked to put his hands behind his back. He resisted, and an argument erupted between him and Aldridge.

Aldridge claimed that Cure was under arrest for speeding and reckless driving. Cure replied by stating that nobody was hurt, to which Aldridge retorted by saying that he passed him going over 100 miles an hour. Cure asked:

"Okay, so that's a speeding ticket right?"

Aldridge responded:

"Sir, tickets in the state of Georgia are criminal offenses."

Cure continued arguing the logic of Aldridge's claims by stating that he was not going to jail, and Aldridge replied that he was going to jail. At one point, Cure simply raised one arm to the sky, and he was tazed by Aldridge, who yelled at him to put his hands behind his back.

After that, Leonard Allan Cure swung back and waved his hands in an attempt to grab the tazer wire, and a physical altercation occurred between him and Aldridge as Cure grabbed the deputy's face and neck, and the deputy retaliated by hitting him with a baton. Cure, who looked like he was winning the altercation, said, "Yeah, b***h." At this point, Aldridge shoots Cure, who falls to the ground.

Leonard Allan Cure's arms could be seen flailing from the ground as he attempted to sit up, while Aldridge yelled at him to stay down. Buck Aldridge yelled out to his radio that shots were fired before attempting first aid procedures on the dying Cure himself. He was later joined by paramedics.

A federal lawsuit was filed on Tuesday by Mary Cure, Leonard Allan Cure's mother. The lawsuit names Buck Aldridge and Camden County Sheriff Jim Proctor, in both his individual and official capacity, as the defendants. Aldridge was hired by Proctor in 2018 after he was terminated from the Kingsland Police Department in 2017 for a Use of Force Policy violation. The lawsuit alleges:

"Defendant Jim Proctor knowingly retained, failed to supervisor (sic) or discipline Defendant Aldridge who had a propensity of violence and use of unlawful force while on duty as a law enforcement officer with the Camden County Sheriff's Office."

Aldridge was hit with claims of assault, battery, and wrongful death. Overall, the federal lawsuit demanded more than $16 million in damages for emotional distress, humiliation, loss of enjoyment of life, and other pain and suffering.

The lawsuit also detailed that Leonard Allan Cure was wrongfully convicted of armed robbery in 2003 and was incarcerated for 16 years before he was exonerated in December 2020. He even received an apology and compensation from the State of Florida in August of last year.