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Nouman Raja makes $250K bail, remains jailed

Posted at 10:54 PM, Jun 01, 2016
and last updated 2019-03-07 09:47:45-05

Former Palm Beach Gardens police officer Nouman Raja has made his $250,000 bail and is going through the house arrest process at the Palm Beach County Jail, but he has not yet been released. 

During a bond hearing Thursday morning, a judge set former Raja's bond at $250,000.  This comes a day after he was arrested and charged in the shooting death of Corey Jones.

Raja was forced to surrender his passport and cannot have contact with the family of Corey Jones.  Also, Raja is not allowed to use his law enforcement license.  He remains in jail Thursday afternoon.

Representatives with the Police Benevolent Association held a news conference regarding Raja's arrest. Click here to read the association's statement.

Jones family holds news conference

The immediate family of Corey Jones said Thursday that the phone conversation and recording that Jones had with roadside assistance was pivotal in charges being filed.

Attorney Benjamin Crump said, "Thank God for that audio. When you look all the evidence, it's overwhelming."

Banks family discusses arrest

On Thursday, attorney Barry Silver spoke about Raja's arrest:

"They do not seek vengeance, they do not seek malice, they seek justice," said family attorney Barry Silver. "There appears to be overwhelming evidence that there was grounds for arrest against Mr. Raja months and months ago."

On Wednesday, the Banks side of the family spoke at their family church in Boynton Beach. Corey Jones' uncle Terry Banks was overwhelmed with emotion at times. He and the rest of the family are still processing key details now released about the morning Corey was shot and killed by Raja.

"There's a lot more that we have to learn about what the findings present and we're on the right track and we just miss Corey," said Banks.

Community leaders standing with Banks applaud the process and the Grand Jury's findings.

RELATED: More Corey Jones coverage

"I never lost faith in [State Attorney] Dave Aronberg," said Riviera Beach Mayor Bishop Thomas Masters. "I've been knowing Dave quite some time and I've always felt that he would do the right thing, others have had other opinions."

Masters announced efforts in Washington, D.C. to create national laws that limit the actions of police officers who are no in uniform.

"We don't want this to every happen again, anywhere in America, this is not a Palm Beach County problem," added Masters.

Corey's family and their attorneys are also pushing for body cameras on a local, state, and national level.

"Not only should there be a body cam on the police officers, there should be a body cam on the police departments to see how you are training your officers," said Rabbi Barry Silver, attorney for the Banks family.

They say Corey Jones' death is a wake up call on policies, procedures, and training for police.

"Maybe his death was a sacrifice of some kind for change," said Banks.