He knows I'm a cop. I identified myself. This guy's trying to kill me and I didn't want to die. Drop the gun. Drop the gun. And bang, bang, bang. And he starts running. And I start chasing him. >> This is Newman Raja, a Florida cop acting like a complete dork after taking the life of an innocent man. >> I just got one down. I just shot one person. >> All right, you got it, buddy. >> But little does he know, his own victim recorded everything. >> I'm good. I'm good. your hands. >> And moments after this, the audio would capture the senseless killing of Cory Jones. Now, Newman will do anything he can to twist, manipulate, and use the same laws that he was meant to uphold. >> And I put that front sight right into the black silhouette, and I squeezed again. I kind of got like caught with my pants still. >> A little after 3:00 a.m. on October 18th, 2015, law enforcement in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, received a panic call from one of their own >> right now. >> 911. >> This is This is Gardens Alpha 1. I just got one down. I just shot one person. I'm at that off right behind Double Tree. Black Mail. >> You're behind the Double Tree. I'm on the offramp, 95 southbound off-ramp off the double tree. I'm I am not covered in anything right now. >> Newman Raja's fellow officers raced to the scene, an I95 off-ramp where they discovered 31-year-old musician, city employee, and beloved family member Cory Jones, deceased from three gunshot wounds. Raja alleged that he was working patrol in plain clothes. When he noticed a car broken down on the side of the highway, he approached it to see if anyone was inside. At that point, Cory leapt out of the car. Raja claims he identified himself, and in response, Cory pulled a gun on him. In self-defense, Raja had no choice but to fire. But as you're about to see, the story presented by Raja himself has about as many holes as a slice of Swiss cheese. Cory's car was broken down on the way home from a music gig. At the time of the shooting, he was on the phone with Triple A trying to schedule a tow truck to come get his car. As you know, from every call that requires an agonizingly long hold, those calls are monitored and recorded. That means that the entire shooting from beginning to end was recorded. And that call, well, it proved that Raja wasn't just a liar. He was incompetent. [Applause] >> I'm good. Is that good? [Music] [Music] Oh my god. >> The following footage was provided to us by Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. >> Officer Raja, are you aware this is a voluntary procedure and that you may decline to continue at any time? >> Yes, I do. >> Okay. Do you feel as though you are emotionally prepared to provide an accurate reenactment? >> I believe so. >> Okay. Do you have any questions about the reenactment procedure before we begin? >> I mean, No. Okay. >> Everything good? >> Yes, sir. >> Do you swear or affirm that the evidence you're about to provide will be the truth, the entire truth, and nothing but the truth? >> I do. >> Okay. What I want you to do is I want you to go into as great as detail as you can. Okay. >> Why you're here, how you came about this. But first, I just have a few preliminary questions. >> You currently work for the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department. Yes, sir. >> How long have you worked for them? >> Uh, since April of 2015. >> April of 2015. >> Any previous law enforcement before that? >> Yes, sir. I was a sergeant with Atlantis Police Department and I started in Atlantis I think 2007 and I came uh just wanted more once I topped out there I wanted more. >> Okay. What are your current duty assignments here with Palm Beach Gardens? >> Currently assigned to road patrol on the midnight shift late night uh 7:30 uh 19:30 to 06:30. >> Okay. Was that your shift last night? >> I can't. Okay. Sorry. >> Was that your shift that you were working last night? >> Yes. Last night was my Friday. We worked four day on four day off schedule. Last night was my last day on. >> Okay. >> Um, what do you normally wear as in your duties? >> On a normal days, uh, we full uniform with the badge and the name tag. For the last, uh, since September 30th or so, we've had a lot of vehicle burglaries in our area and everything and we were getting hit with them a lot. So, starting last week, we started with this. We were setting up decoy cars and at midnight, I'm uh, Alpha 1 cover shift. So basically I have beat one which is far out west and there's not really that much happens. So they also use me as a cover unit. At midnight I would go set up the decoy cars and everything like that. I would dress down and street clothes and I've been doing this for the last four nights and I would either take this van or we have a gold crown Victoria unmarked and I would take that and basically drive around uh residential neighborhoods and everything blacked out, no windows down seeing if I see if we see any uh burglaries occurring. >> Okay. Did you have anything on you this evening after you dressed down >> um showing that you were a police officer? Did you have a badge or anything with you? >> Inside, first of all, uh I always have my wallet badge with me with uh police ID which is per policy. >> Uh and on top of that, inside my van, I had my tactical vest with had police in the front, police on the back, my name actually stitched onto the vest, Officer Raja, and I had my duty holster with me inside the thing. Raja makes a big point out of highlighting that he had identification with him. He seems to be missing the fact that having that identification on you is only useful if you well use it. And though he claims he yelled out that he was an officer, the audio footage will prove that he did no such thing. >> We were told that nightclub right down the road on PJ RC is called Lux and across the road is downtown at the Gardens Dirty Martini. >> Lux Lux L Ux. They were having a hip-hop concert tonight and there was supposed to be a huge crowd gathering tonight. So, we decided to if you open the back of the van up, you'll see eight riot shields, this that gear, the loudspeaker, crime scene tape, and uh sticks uh you know, and our thing was this. Hey, if anything happens, if you know, if it uh if there's a big incident at Lux, if there's a big fight, we need to clear the crowd. We're going to forget about the 21 and report with the van immediately to Lux so officers have quick access to it. And uh so and number two thing that was also was discussed was this. While I'm in street clothes, while I'm in this, I do not do any takedowns, I do not do anything, but just in case of an emergency something happens, you know, that's why I have the vest and everything identifying on me. I'm supposed to call the road unit to come out to handle any situations. >> Okay. Um just to go back kind of quick for other people that aren't police officers. >> Yes. I'm sorry. >> If you would just in the future stop using the signal codes and stuff because somebody may not understand it. you use 94 which we know is back up and 21 which is burglaries. So if you can just use plain talk for the future just in case cuz >> some of the non police officers may not understand what you were talking about at that point. >> Um you satisfied with that you want to go into the reenactment or >> you you said uh you're supposed to call the backup during situations. What situations are you supposed to call back? Like for example, if I'm in one of the residential neighborhoods and I see a burglary occurring or something like that or suspicious vehicle or suspicious person to call a mark unit, give them my position where I'm at and tell them, hey, this is where this person is through. And then once the mark unit comes out there, makes an initial stop, comes in contact, you know, throw my vest on if I need to and everything like that and then go ahead and make contact with them. >> So Newman obviously knows what he's supposed to do if he encounters any suspicious people or situations. And yet that's not at all what he did. Rather than call for backup or report to the scene that he had actively been called to, he stops and conducts his own investigation on a car that he believes is abandoned. >> Okay. Now, what I'd like you to do is go into what happened this evening. Start as far back as you have to. >> Try to go into as much detail as you can. Okay? >> If you need to stop, stop. If you need a break, tell us. Let us know. Okay? And then try to be as elaborate as you can with what happened, how it happened, >> why it happened, and what what not. >> Absolutely. >> Okay. >> Uh >> well, tonight at uh I couldn't really start the this oper operation if you want to call it till midnight because I was actually a backup officer on a domestic call in Evergreen. And second I cleared the domestic call as the backup officer, I uh went to the station, changed out everything through and got into the van, had the van prepped and everything like that. And I sent uh Sergeant Anderson a message because one of the things was we had a we were assuming that these people that were doing a lot of the burglaries are coming from uh Jupiter area from the heights and we've checked and we've seen a couple of these suspicious people that we've you know checked out with before and everything like that walking south on military, walking south on central. So I started my day with I started on PGA. I went down military all the way down to Hood Road, went into uh Donald Ross Village, drove around there and then came down Central down PGA and then I came back here, went to the gas station, got myself a drink and some snacks which are still inside the van and I started to hit do the communities and I was as I was doing this I was sending messages to Sergeant Anderson on the laptop. Hey, I'm going to this community, this community. This is what I just did. This is what I just did. So he's aware of the whole so you know the chain of command is going. So he's aware of my uh location at all times. Uh I did the first community was uh the Isisles. I did the Isisles and I was about to go to Evergreen and I was just about to go there and everything and I remember that one of the two units responded to a domestic disturbance at the Marriott and the Lux Club is located on the first floor of the Marriott. They responded to like on the fifth floor or something like that to a domestic disturbance that was pretty heated and uh Sergeant Anderson went there too. And as Sergeant Anderson was there, I remember him calling on the radio. Hey, we have a disturbance going on downstairs in Lux in the nightclub. Have officers respond. So, you kept on hearing different officers. I had the radio on like officers, I'm on the way. I'm on the way. So, in my mind, I'm like, okay, this might be that call that, you know, it it just might break loose. let me take the van, get out of where I was at and start heading down in this direction to be close to it just in case if no something broke. I have the right gear, everything like that that we discussed about. So I turned on military from military to PGA and I was going eastbound on PGA and as I was coming here and everything, I saw this vehicle stopped here. Didn't see anybody inside, nothing. And I called out uh I believe on the radio and I said that I've got a uh I thought it was a disabled vehicle on the side of the road or an abandoned vehicle. So, I saw this vehicle and everything and I was like, "Okay, I've got this vehicle on the side of the road and you know, I'm gonna check out with it, make sure everything's okay." And you know, when I drove past it, there was no I could not see anything any occupants inside the vehicle or if I >> You drove past it, which way? >> Eastbound. >> Okay. >> Eastbound. So, I went down to the next light right there. I made a U-turn, came in here, and I was as I was coming, I was like, you know, it's like, "All right, it's just an abandoned vehicle. This is the on-ramp. I'm just going to pull in front of it like this and park in front and put my flashes on. Give dispatch the tag to see if I can see the owner. Maybe they walk the gas station or have a towed do what we need to do. But, you know, it's like and and this is where I I I'm kind of like kicking my like you know, it's like thinking about hindsight. It's like our you know, golden rule like you know, always act like a vehicle is always occupied. Never take that chance of like, you know, the vehicle not being unoccupied. If I knew the vehicle is occupied, I would never pull myself in a fatal funnel situation like this by pulling in front of it. Raja should be kicking himself in the butt for a lot of reasons, starting with how bad his reasoning and his lying is here. For starters, the way Raja has parked his car was described by former FBI director Frank Figlioi as a tactical emergency position, one that is only used during aggressive maneuvers to prevent a suspect from escaping. Using this when you believe a car is unoccupied makes about as much sense as the rest of Raja's behavior. because he not only made a U-turn and drove the wrong way on a highway off-ramp to park here, but he parked diagonally across the off-ramp, effectively blocking it to traffic in an unmarked unlighted vehicle. Why? Because, as you're about to see, his decision-m is abysmal at best. I didn't think there was anybody in there. And as I got close the vehicle and uh the door swung open and uh this guy jumps on, I immediately got out of the van and he's like, "I'm okay. I'm okay, man. And at which point I said, "Hey, man. Police, can I help you?" And second, I said, "Police." He jumped back and I clearly remember him drawing and going pointing a gun at me. I saw that silver muzzle and he had I can swear on this. He had a laser max laser in the guide rod in the gun and I saw that red light of that laser max flashing at me and I immediately just shouted go, "Drop the gun." And this take a deep take a deep breath. Let's do this. Okay. Do you need a drink? >> Listen, I want you to take your time. I want you to be okay. >> Listen, uh why don't we >> You want to watch Can you go over here and show us where you were when this happened? >> Absolutely. >> And >> when you got out of the van, which way did you go? >> Right here. I came right here. Hold on one second. Come back here. Yes, sir. Come back here. Now, when you got out of the van, which way did you go? >> In front. Just like how you >> Yeah. Go ahead. >> I I immediately jumped out and I came right here. And at that point, >> I didn't I didn't have a what I had on me. The only thing I had on me because I was in plain like my gun was still inside my duty gun. My vest was inside and the only thing I had was my backup gun, my uh department approved backup gun and a and waistband holster inside with a shirt tucked in like this. And I immediately said, "Hey man, police, can I help you?" And at which point that's when he jumped back and I saw him draw the gun right at me right after I said the word police. And it was and it was just I I kind of got like caught with my pants down at that point. And it just immediately it's like I pause. It's just like, you know, your family flashed in front of your kids flashed in front of you. It's just and just immediately I drew down. I was like, "Drop the gun. Drop the gun." And he and he didn't. He was right there. And I remember pulling the trigger I think two to three times and he started running. And as he was running, I had my cell phone and I dialed and I still remember putting my code in and just like this, I had the gun and I'm keeping an eye on this guy. And I put my code in, dial 911 and I called dispatch right because my radio was van. And the whole time I'm like giving him commands. I'm yelling, screaming. I'm like, "Drop the gun. Drop the gun. Drop the gun." And as he's running, he gets about like right just a little past where the guardrail starts and he's he does this number and I see his whole body spin and I saw like a flash a silver flash of like a metallic flash come at me and in my head I said, "Aim, aim." And I was like, "Aim." And I was like, and I just picked that front sight right in the center mass and I just pulled the trigger three times and I saw him drop and I saw something silver fall. And at which point I was still on the phone with dispatch just like get your radio. Get your radio. And I just held what I had right there. I couldn't really see where he dropped. What happened if he moved or anything? And I'm like I don't see him. I don't have a visual on him. I don't have visual. And I started to walk backwards and everything. Came back to the van, grabbed my radio, grabbed everything, called out on the radio. >> Everything that you've just heard is a lie. Well, everything aside from the fact that Raja pulled the trigger >> and Sergeant Sprag was the first one and I can't remember it was one of the tauruses, new tauruses were responding and they actually thought it happened in Double Tree and I got on the radio. I was like, "Guys, I'm right there. I'm right here." And they quickly turned in right here and uh it was Arlada, Niko Arlada. And Arlada had his rifles slung up and scragged everything. I'm like, "Guys, I lost sight of him right there." >> Do me do me a favor. >> Yes, sir. >> I want I want This is for you. I want you to take a deep breath. Okay. >> I'm I'm having trouble. You're you're fast talker and you're explaining everything. I want to be able to understand and make sure everyone's good, but I want to also give you a break to try to get some oxygen in. >> I'm sorry. It's just the whole kids get to me. >> Absolutely. >> That's perfect. >> Um, >> did you have questions? >> I do. >> I do. >> Yes. Now, while you were going through this, at any time, did that individual fire at you? Did Do you know if the gun went off? >> I don't honestly. I I was screaming at the top of my lungs. I was screaming, "Do the only thing I can think of was like like I'm saying drop the gun." I announced myself as the [ __ ] is this guy pointing a gun at me? What the like? It was >> okay. I don't know if you fired around you. I don't remember. >> Okay. Um, at any point did you have any contact with that individual? Any kind of personal contact with you when you were walking up? >> No. As again like he jumped up and he said, "Hey, I'm okay." And I said and I came out and said I said my exact words were like and I made sure I was speaking loud like like hey man police can I help you? And immediately he and he does a step back and kind of like just draws the gun. It's basically you're standing right here. Do you mind if I >> Absolutely. Where was Oh, sure. Sure. Okay. >> You said you got out of the van here. You had earlier you put your flashers on. >> You said something about putting your >> No, no. That my game plan My game plan as I was coming from PGA was this. I thought it was a disabled vehicle. So, I was going to pull in front of the van, in front of the SUV, and put my flashers on, walk out and, you know, see what's going on and call out the tag and call a T or call a tow truck if I needed to get the vehicle removed. I thought it was a broke down vehicle. There was nobody in it. >> Okay. And is there a reason why he stopped here instead of pulling up? >> Cuz the guy jumped the guy jumped out. >> He jumped out his while you were in the car. He jumped out. >> He jumped out and I immediately jumped out, too. >> That's a long- winded way of saying actually I didn't turn my flashers on at all. Raja didn't turn his flashers on, didn't grab any identification, and didn't grab his vest. He did, however, have time to grab his gun. He chalks this up to the fact that Cory Jones jumped out of his vehicle as soon as Raja parked. Except that's not true because as you remember, Cory Jones was on the phone in a recorded phone call with a tow truck for the entire interaction. And the car door didn't even open until well after Raja parked and got out of his vehicle. >> Were dressed exactly like this. Nothing more, nothing less. >> Exactly. Exactly. Exactly like this. And I had my holstered which was covered. >> Was your It was covered. >> It was covered. Wasn't >> When you have your gun in your waistband, does is is it obvious that you're carrying the gun? There's no big >> There's I have I have a big stomach, so it kind of overhangs over the holster. >> Were you wearing that same hat? >> Exactly. Just like this. >> Okay. And you said you started firing. Was that around this area? >> Uh I I believe I I'm trying to think like I remember you came. I said drop I >> I can't hear you. Yeah. >> Hold on. Um I'm sorry. I'm uh I'm thinking I I I I know I know when he had the gun pointed at me around the car and everything, I fired. I know that. I >> Do you remember exactly where he was at when he he and Let me go back. You said that you got out, you jumped out, and you came around here. >> When did the gun come into play and where did it come from? >> See, he jumped out immediately. He said, "I'm okay, man." He said, "I'm okay. I'm okay." And I said, "Hey, man. police, can I help? Can I help you? And second, I said, uh, I I remember >> Yeah, exactly. I'm not touching anything. No, >> don't touch the >> I remember clearly seeing this. The gun was right here. I remember seeing it above the door level and it was in this area right here pointing at my directly at me. And I remember seeing it was a silver gun. I could clearly see the hole of the muzzle. And I could see that laser max laser in the guide rod flickering. It was like flickers red on and off, on and off. So he was in this area. >> Yeah. Yeah, he was in this vicinity. Somewhere in this vicinity. >> Do you want to Why don't you do you recall where you were standing? I know you had some difficulty. Do you know approximately where? >> Somewhere in in in this vicinity somewhere. I don't recall exactly. >> Why don't you do it? Somewhere between where and where. >> Oh, let's see. I like if if I had to say something, I would probably say about like in the in in this region right here. This >> Well, I don't want you to have to say anything. That's why I asked you approximate. So, if you're safe saying where your attorney is standing and somewhere between there somewhere, you just let me know. It's somewhere in this area right here. >> Put this at the western boundary of any possibility of where you >> Okay, I'm going to put it about here. About here. Let's see. >> And put this at the eastern >> and take your time and arrange them how you want. >> Okay. So, I know I never went that far. I'll probably say about here. >> Okay. So somewhere between number one and number two safe to say this is where you >> Yes sir. >> And that's when you initially >> came into engagement. >> Well like verbal engagement or >> you spoke to him when when did you specifically see the threat? >> Right around this area. When because as it was happening I started my brothers in this area and I said hey man please how can I help you? And I said that clearly and when I said that and he immediately just jumped and I just I I remember this action right here handgun on me. >> Raja is having trouble remembering the locations where he fired two separate volleys of three shots because he's trying to place them in an area that makes him look the best. Unfortunately for him, forensics will reveal things are much much different than he's claiming. Now Raja has been an officer for almost 8 years at the point of this footage. In fact, he's an instructor at the police academy and a firearms expert. Yet, he claims to have seen a laser on the gun. The gun in question, one of the cheapest handguns that money can buy, had nothing of the sort. In fact, Cory had bought it just 3 days before he was fatally shot for protection at home and on the way to and from his gigs. >> And then he started running in this direction right here, just as you at >> which side of the guardrail? >> On the western side of the guardrail on the grass. Yes. He started running on the grass and if I'm thinking and I and this is where I grabbed my phone and I started running after him with my gun still pointing in his direction screaming and I was on 911. I was yelling. I was like, "Drop the gun. Drop the gun. Drop the gun." And uh I was screaming at the top of my lungs. >> What was he doing at that point? He was running and right when he got about uh I think it was cuz this is where I started to walk. I I remember I was around that area by that pole when I decide to walk back to get my radio again cuz this like go get your radio Raj go get your radio and I >> just be careful right here. >> I'm sorry. I'm sorry. >> And I remember over here is where I was and he must have been Uh, do you see this plant right here? This this big bush. Yeah, the big hump >> just where the ditch is right there in front of it. Kind of like he was in that area. And that's when he did the spin and I was yelling. I was like, "Drop the gun. Drop the gun." And I saw him go like this. >> And and I remember saying to myself, "Aim." I still remember. And I was like, "Aim." And I put that front sight right in the center mass and I squeezed. I I think I believe two rounds. >> Okay. And I saw him drop at which point and when he dropped and everything and I started going up and I couldn't see him and I was like I lost sight of him. I lost sight of him and they're like go get your radio. Go get your radio. And I start to go and I was like just paddling back and everything and the guys came and I was like look I lost sight of him right there. I don't know where he went to. And I think uh one of the officers was up north. He's like I think I see something up there and this and that. So and then Sergeant Sprag or Sergeant Anderson, one of the sergeants was like Raj come show me exactly the last point you saw. So I started walking up the guard. As I started walking up, we saw him right there. >> Okay. What happened after that? >> Once we saw him and everything, his he was laying face down and both his hands were tucked underneath him. So Sergeant Anderson came to my left. He brought a shield. He was shield guy. I was shield covered behind him and Sergeant Sprag came to the north side of us from the almost at the tree and he had a rifle out. And we said, "Okay, we need to approach it to make sure that you know he's still not armed, what's going on, everything." So we slowly approached him and everything like that. But before that uh when they came, I ran to my van. I immediately put on my vest and I immediately clipped on my uh thigh holster, my duty gun. So once uh once we start to approach him and everything like that, he still wasn't moving. Gave him I think I think we gave him a couple verbal commands. Didn't respond. And SP said, "Raj, go ahead. Holster hand go hands on with him." I holstered immediately and they said they they've got cover. I grabbed one arm, pulled it out, grabbed the other arm, pulled it out, and we said, "Let's" and Sergeant Anderson was Brag said, "Flip him, make sure he's not laying on top of the gun." And we just pulled him back, flipped him back, saw there was no gun visible and everything. And Sergeant Sprag said, "Okay, call, fire, rescue. All right, let's clear." And I came back here and there was a rescue truck here, and I was covered in his blood. And I was like, "Can you just get this off me?" And they took like hydrogen peroxide and just started pouring it all over me. He started washing me. >> All over you? >> Yeah. >> On on my hands and arms. Cory wasn't laying on the gun because he had dropped the gun well before Raja fired an additional three shots into him. How far before? 150 ft, which is half a football field if you're American and a little less than half a football field if you're well, anything else. Raja claims that he called 911 before he fired the second volley of shots. Yet, Cory's call proves that's not true. In fact, he only waited 10 seconds between firing the two sets while the AAA agent helplessly listened on the other end of Cory's phone. Then, 33 seconds after firing his last bullet, Raja called 911, pretending that he was still concerned about Cory having a gun. >> Right now, >> 911. >> This is This is Gardens Alpha 1. I just got one down. I just shot one person. I'm at that off right behind Double Tree. Black Nail. You're behind the double tree. >> I'm on the offramp. 95 southbound off ramp off the double tree. I'm I am not covered in anything right now. And uh give me some units. I got one down. I got one man down. Have fire. Stand by. >> Roger. You all right? >> Yeah, man. I'm good. I'm good. Drop it though. >> On the offramp, right? >> On the offramp. Get me some units. I've lost contact with him. I don't know where he is. >> All right. You got it, buddy. Where's your radio? Where's your radio? garage. >> My radio's in the van right now. I don't have it with me. I'm on That's why I'm on the phone. >> All right. Stay on the phone, buddy. What we What's the guy look like? >> Black male, wearing all black dress, had a silver handgun in his right hand. >> At the point of Raja making this call, Cory had been shot three times. He was unmoving on the ground. His gun was half a sports field of your choosing away. Raja, a trained officer, knew that Cory wasn't holding a weapon. But he also knew that he messed up big time and he had to try and make it look like he was acting in self-defense. Even if he was defending himself against a dead man in the footage you've just heard. >> Can I clarify a couple? >> Go ahead. >> The shirt you have on, is that the shirt you had on? >> Exactly. Just like this. >> It's on Inside Out. >> Inside Out because it uh it's it's a shirt with a American flag on it. >> Okay. And the the night before I had a green shirt, like this is an American flag and one of the officers drove by. Like that gives you a way as a cop. You got a flag on your shoulder. I was like, "All right, I got to flip it inside out." Okay. >> So, I flipped it. >> Um, let's talk about conditions. Right now, I can see you. There's no street lights on. The sun's well, the sun has risen. You can see. And tell me about the conditions at 3:15. >> Up front, when I was right there with him, I could see him crystal clear. But when he started to run away from me, all I could see was a silhouette. And I I could see his face. I could see this and I could see his like body movements and stuff like he was wearing a black shirt but you could like he wasn't like he wasn't really that dark black skin like he was he was uh like just maybe a couple of shades darker than me so you could make out this is where his shirt stopped this is where his arm stopped and I could see him turn and I could have sworn I saw that like that silver thing like when he turned I saw some silver in his hand turned and that's when I was like and squeezed off a few rounds and the whole time I'm on the phone with dispatch. You said he pointed he he pulled the gun at you at it right outside of his or in the in the vicinity or whatever. >> And you said you described it as what? >> I saw a silver muzzle. I could clearly see the bore size hole and underneath it where the guide rod goes off the handguns and everything like that. He had a laser max laser which blinks. And I'm speaking this from experience because I'm a firearms instructor and I I teach civilian. I teach at the police academy and everything and I can clearly identify a firearm when I see one specifically when it's pointed in my direction. >> And you indicated you testified that you were you were pretty quick on the draw. You said you drove it out quick. Are you pretty quick with >> I I practice like there's no I practice all the time. >> He pointed his gun at you at there >> at the second he pointed he first like when I said hey man police can I help you? And that's when he pointed the jumped back, pointed the gun at me and everything that >> Okay. Why didn't you shoot him there? >> I I I thought I shoot shot him. I thought I pulled the trigger. I I thought I shot him. I thought I shot at him >> when you first pulled out your gun. >> Yeah. When I first pulled out the gun, I gave him like, "Drop the gun. Drop the gun." And when he And when he didn't, I think I s I I believe I shot him there. >> Okay. Okay. How many rounds do you think you fired in total? >> Five. Okay. >> Maybe six or five. >> What kind of gun is it? What kind? >> Glock 27 40 caliber. >> The mini Glock. >> The mini Glock Glock. Yeah, the baby Glock. Yeah. >> Did you Did you When he pointed the gun at you and you pulled your gun and you thought you fired, could you at any point either there or down there see if um muzzle flash, you're familiar muzzle flash? Yes, absolutely. Uniforms in truck. >> Yes. >> Did you ever see that come out of his gun? >> I didn't I didn't even see my own m >> Raja. didn't see Cory's muzzle flash because, as you've likely realized, Cory never fired. >> All I remember was just the motion of pulling that trigger. I didn't I didn't even know if I I I couldn't even hear my own bang. I think I was just so like, "Drop the gun. Drop the gun." I don't think I even heard my own gun go off. >> Okay. >> Would you describe your demeanor? I shouldn't say demeanor, lack of interpret. As police officers, we often patrol with a kind of a heightened sense of alertness >> if that's if that makes sense. >> I was >> Do you think that your level how would you describe your level of alertness when you first saw this car and then before he pulled the firearm out? >> I first of all I didn't even know he was inside the car and and that's that's exactly what I'm talking about. I'm kicking myself. You know, hindsight's 2020. And I preach this at the academy. Always, you know, when you see an abandoned vehicle, when you see something like that, always treat it like there's somebody inside cuz you never know. And I go do the cynical. Like if I knew there was a guy inside, why the I wouldn't do something stupid like this by pulling in front of the car like that. Cuz I drove by, oh, there's nobody. And I came, made the U-turn, and I'm watching. There's nobody inside the car. I'm like, oh man, they probably ran out of gas, walked the corner, gas station or something like that. So, let me just pull in front of it. I'll put my flashers on everything. Hey, call out the tag. Call out the, you know, like a broke down vehicle and everything. See if it needs to be towed or what. >> So, the only reason you got out there >> was cuz he jumped out. >> He jumped out. >> Yeah. Okay. >> He caught me off guard and there again like I I preached that stuff and I went ahead. >> Officer Raj, at one point you said that when he got out, you said, "Hey man, police." >> Yes. >> Can I help you? At what point did he say what or what? He said something. >> He said right off the second he got out the car. I jumped out immediately. He said, "I'm good, man. I'm good." >> Even before or after you. >> Even before that was the first words. He said, "Hey, man. I'm good. I'm good." And I responded with, "Hey, man. Police. Can I help you?" >> Did he say anything after that? >> No. That was that that that was like the clicker. It was like, "Wait a minute. A normal person would be like, you know, if a normal human being was broken down and I identified myself as a police officer, like wanting to help somebody like, "No, no, I'm good. I'm waiting for someone to come bring the gas or or I called a tow truck already or whatever the case might be." And he immediately just jumped at gun come at me. At that point, it's like he knows I'm a cop. I identified myself. This guy's trying to kill me. And I was and I I didn't want to die. >> Did you have anything out that would identify yourself physically as a police officer? I didn't get a chance to even grab my wallet out because the funny thing is earlier in the night I was in uh the aisles when I was doing my patrol in aisles. As you enter the aisles, you make the first right and there was a gentleman walking his dog and he immediately saw me and because I was blacked out in a van driving around and I immediately grabbed my wallet and I went like this. I was like, "Sorry, I'm a police officer. It's okay. We're here doing surveillance and everything." So, I know to identify myself right off the bat, but it happened so quick. He drew that gun so quick on me. Okay. You have the holster for your gun with you? >> Yeah. No, they have it. >> What is the attachment you have on your belt there? >> This is for my leg holster. >> Okay. Did you have that tactical belt on at the time? >> Yes. This is the same exact belt I had on. >> This right here I had in the waistband holster. And the whole thing with the drop leg holster was, you know, if I do need to go out something like that, put the vest on, put the holster on, and then go. >> Okay. >> Um, let's talk about two other things. >> Yes, sir. the uh when you said you you where you shot up there when he first pulled the gun at you, >> did you see if it had an impact on him? >> Couldn't tell. >> Did you notice? >> Were you watching him >> at the time? >> My my aim was I was watching that gun. >> Did he fold in? >> No. >> Did he stumble? Did he say ouch or shot me or anything? >> Did he say anything at that point? >> Nothing. Nothing was said. Nothing was and he was just pointing the gun, right? >> No body reaction to indicate something may have. >> No, nothing was flight. >> Cory obviously had every reason to run and for flight to be his response to being shot at six times at 3:00 in the morning while his car was broken down. The only reason that Cory was even still with his vehicle was because he was afraid that his drums were going to be stolen out of it. So he decided he would wait for the tow truck. Despite one of his friends offering him a ride home after he tried to help Cory get his vehicle running, Cory was already wary. Had Raja actually announced himself as a police officer, things likely would have gone extremely differently, especially when you consider the fact that Cory didn't have a single infraction on his record. And we mean not a single one. Not even a traffic or parking ticket. >> Which hand was he got in? >> Right. >> Okay. And again, do you remember where it came from? >> He was like, again, like my view was blocked by that door a lot, so I couldn't tell if he had it in his waist, if he had in the door, if he had it on his seat. I don't know. >> I remember seeing that thing coming right at me. >> When he ran, when he ran, was he full sprint back? >> I I saw him running. >> He running fast? >> Not Not fa Not fast. It wasn't fast because I I'm because I I still had like if he was a I I guess he was you can say if he was in a full sprint trying to run away, he would probably made it a lot further. >> Okay. >> And >> I'm I'm going to ask you to do one thing after I ask you one more question. The blood, you said you got blood all over. How did you do that? >> When we went once we found his body and everything and it was only me, Sergeant Sprag, and Sergeant Anderson. And when we saw his body, we flashed the light on him. We and we were up here at this guardrail right kind of like uh where this emergency truck is sitting at and we looked down. We're like, "Oh, there he is." His hands were tucked underneath him. We couldn't even see his hands. So, Sergeant, one of the sergeants said, "We need to go make sure that he does he's he's uh you know that he's not alive still. He's not holding on to the weapon and everything like that." And Sergeant Anderson had the shield out. I was behind him and shield cover like this. And Sergeant Sprag was on further from me with the rifle out. And we slowly approached the body. I think I think we gave some royal pass show your hands show me your hands and nothing happened didn't move didn't even flinch and at uh s said Raj we got covered holster up we got to pull his hands out and so at holstered pulled his hand out pulled the other hand out and then I'm not sure if it was Sergeant Sprag or Sergeant Anderson they said let's flip him just to make sure that that he's not laying on top of the gun so I grabbed his arm and I flipped him there was no gun nothing see like okay he's clear let's call uh fire rescue up and I walked about like I'm going to go wash myself. I'm covered in blood. >> And where did you do that at? >> Uh I there was a rescue there was a fire truck and an ambulance by right behind it with the rescue. And I walked back there. I was like I need to wash this off me. And the the firefighter. She grabbed a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, popped it, and just started dumping it all over me. And I was just washing myself. Now to go back when when the gentleman was rolled over, did you did anybody check him to see if any kind of weapons? No. >> Did you see anything in the ground around him? >> We we just kind of like did this and everything like we need to get out of this. We need to we can't we shouldn't contaminate this crime anymore. >> Didn't see anything immediate area. No. >> Okay. >> Was that truck here when when this happened? >> No, this truck was like way towards the end. They just needed more lights, so they called it in. >> Just making sure. And uh did you have anything to do with recovering any piece of evidence around here? >> No. >> Whether it be shell casings or guns or anything like that? >> Second that happened, second I washed my hands, uh Sergeant Anderson was like, "Gr, you need to be with me." And he took me. Do you see where those officers are where those guys are standing right there by that car? >> Yes. >> Right there. And I was there for the rest of till our command >> enter the crime scene again. So you did this right now. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Did you get into a car or were you still outside? >> No, I was outside the car the whole time till the command bus, our command bus came. got into our command bus and then your command bus came and I switched over to yours. >> Okay. >> What's the first thing he did when you yelled police at him? >> Second, I said, "Uh, hey man, police." He immediately just stepped back and I saw I remember clearly seeing that gun over that door pointing right at us the night before I went home and my wife saw me playing. She's like, "What are you doing?" I like I was doing surveillance last. The first words out of her mouth, "Where's your vessel?" I like, "Honey, he's inside the van. next to me. If I need it, I can throw it on and everything. And all I can think is [Music] >> Raja is bringing on the tears, and this isn't his first time being in trouble with the department. He may not have been planning or seeking someone out to harm this night, but his disciplinary history shows that at the bare minimum, he had a disregard for rules that carried into this fatal incident. From 2008 to 2015, he was written up multiple times for mishandling evidence. In 2009, a complaint was actually filed against him for going to a friend's house in regards to a domestic incident while he was off duty and plain clothed. Just another example of Raja thinking he can get away with his behavior of not doing things by the book. >> Now, when he got out of the car, how did he get out of that car? Did it look like he just opened up the door and stepped out? I saw him pop out fast like like I could like I couldn't tell like if he stepped his left foot, right foot because I his know my van is pretty high van. It was blocked. I just saw him pop out like right there. And it just caught me off guard like >> Okay. >> That red laser you said that did it flash or was it a light flickering? >> Was flickering? >> Yes, sir. >> You you said you know about guns. >> Yes, sir. Laser Max is the only company that makes a laser that goes in the guide rod of the gun. And they're not a steady laser. They're supposed to they're designed to flicker like that to give you like, hey, this is where I'm at. >> And did you see were you there when it was there if there was a gun recovered, were you there? Did you see it afterwards? >> I've I haven't seen the gun. I haven't seen anything. I again like to know after we got the body and everything after I washed my hands, they immediately took me over there and I've been there the, you know, the whole time. >> Now, you said you saw the laser. Did you see the end point of that laser at any point? >> The the Oh, like where was No idea. >> Okay. Two more things. Yes, sir. >> Do you remember when you discharged your weapon? >> You said you believed it was down there. Did you discharge it anywhere? >> Yes, I discharged it. And And this this is what I'm saying. It's like when we when he was running and I was going after I was young. I was like, "Drop the gun. Drop the drop the gun." And I'm yelling at this guy, "Drop the gun." at the top of my lungs and I see him do one of these numbers come back and all I remember saying to myself and my head was like aim and I even yelled I was like aim and I put that front sight right into the black silhouette and I squeezed again >> do me a favor as best you can the same thing approximate where you were >> aim was not something that Raja yelled in fact in total he only said 20 words before he fired and those words weren't the words you would expect from a public servant rather Rather than identifying himself as a police officer, Raja antagonized Cory. It may be hard to make out, but in the clip you're about to hear, he asks, "You good?" When Cory responds that he is, Raja twice says, "Really?" in an almost sarcastic tone. >> You good? Is that good? [Music] Oh crap. again. Do you have the like in the area? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Now, which one is this? Because you had testified earlier that you shot twice. >> Yes. >> This is second. >> This is the second the second series. >> Okay. >> First series. Second series. >> Very good. >> Oh, sorry. >> Probably have to say somewhere around come up almost here at that point. >> Yeah, >> it was somewhere in this cuz I I remember I came I remember I didn't hug the guardrail. I remember I was coming wide. I remember I was coming wide and I remember yelling aim. >> So it was in this general area in this general area. >> Okay. At which point was he pointing the gun at you? He was running running backwards with a turn. >> He was running He was running for me and he did one of these numbers. >> Where >> we're at? >> Where I was at? >> Where was he at at that point? >> Yeah. Can we >> Yeah, absolutely. Go. I would probably say somewhere. >> Hold on one second. >> In this general vicinity. You want to >> I don't want you getting wet. >> Listen, don't go. If it's a canal, >> I'll I'll toss them. You want me to toss them? >> Yeah. >> All right. >> It's just approximate. >> This is approximate. I would say probably from about here to about this area. >> Okay. Right. So right in that area, that's where he was when he >> that's where he was. He turned around and >> and he just just went like this and I was like and I remember yelling >> aim and just >> when he spun you saw the barrel again. >> Yeah, I saw that. Yeah, I saw I saw him I saw this >> leading but >> No, but I I saw I saw the biggest thing is here's the thing >> again from like training and experience and being around firearms and teaching firearms and everything like that. This is a here's the thing. If somebody's running, if they're looking back versus when they see a whole body spin and you see that fist come up like this, he's done. He's trying to kill me. >> Okay. >> Did you see one at that point? >> Yes, I I saw something and I saw something and then he dropped and that's when I said I saw something silver fall. >> Okay. >> The last thing I'm going to have you to do, it sounds silly. Let's go back to the car. >> Come here. >> Keep up. Um, the last thing I'm going to have you do is as best you can physically and verbally reenact the moment without getting in your van. You can start at the driver's door. >> Reenact everything you did. Simulate >> drawing your gun because I'll have >> it. >> Um, as best you can reenact it as if it was just happening now, >> okay? without getting dirty. >> And when I say reenact it, I want you to I want the volume of your voice to be the same. I want your >> Do it 100%. >> Your speed in your walk or your run to be the same >> and progress all the way through. >> All the way through. Okay. >> Yep. >> Prepare yourself for the strangest and most inaccurate recreation of events of all time. >> I completely go like and he says, "Hey man, he jumps like, "Hey man, I'm okay." I'm like, "Hey man, cops. Hey man, police. can I help you? And he immediately, uh, hey man, police, can I help you? And he draws the gun on me and say, "Drop the gun. Drop the gun." And bang, bang, bang. And he starts running and I start chasing him. And I'm calling 911. Hey, this is Gardens. This is Roger. I just shot I just shot a guy. The guy had a gun. And I'm describing the guy. And as he's going right there, he stops and he turns around, looks at me, and I and I'm like, "Aim." And I bang, bang, bang. And I fire about two or maybe three rounds over here. and I see him drop and I come up a little bit more and I'm still on the phone. I slow down. I slow down and then I couldn't see him anymore. And I was like, I've lost sight of him. I've lost sight of him. I don't know where he is. They're like, go back at your radio. Go back at your radio. And I just started walking backwards, ran back and got my radio. >> Let's pause there and just listen to the audio all the way through to see if a single thing matches his statements. >> Is there any buildings, landmarks, anything like that that I could use to pinpoint your address? Huh? You good? Is that good? Yeah. Oh my god. Um [Music] um gun show up. >> Nope, it sure doesn't. But that doesn't matter to Raja at the time of this recreation because he has absolutely no idea that the entire thing was recorded. >> The length of time that you just did that roughly >> the same. >> 3 to 4 seconds. You left that. We got 85. >> Okay. What we're gonna do is we're going to take you over to Sergeant >> Mole's car. >> Mole's car. Yes, sir. I'm mixing up the names. >> Um where he put your gun in a truck. Yes. >> The only reason I'm going to have you go over there is to identify that. >> That is okay. We'll do. >> And then we're going to take it as evidence. Okay. And u Gotcha. >> That'll conclude everything. Any other time during this whole incident? Did you say >> police? >> I I I I don't know what to tell you. What's that? I I I don't know what to I remember screaming, "Drop the gun. Drop the gun." I remember screaming that. I'm sure I probably said, "Please drop the gun." It's just >> You don't remember? >> I don't remember. Yeah. >> Okay. I'm happy. >> Good. >> Thank you very much, sir. You're welcome. >> Newman Raja's case was highly contested and a huge staple in the news cycle for several years. In 2016, he was arrested on charges of murder and attempted murder. one charged for the volley of shots that were fatal and another for the volley of shots that were not. In court in 2019, he didn't testify, which was within his right, but certainly didn't help his case. Ultimately, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for manslaughter and attempted first-degree murder.