FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ Stranded along a highway off-ramp in the middle of the night, Corey Jones can be heard pleading, "Hold on. Hold on."
For the first time, the public on Tuesday could listen to the final words the drummer spoke at 3:15 a.m. on Oct. 18, 2015, just before he was shot to death by then-plainclothes Palm Beach Gardens Police Officer Nouman Raja.
The recording of Jones' call to a roadside assistance service _ which captured both Jones and Raja's dialogue before the sounds of five gunshots _ is among documents and audio/video evidence released by the Palm Beach County state attorney's office, in response to public records' requests.
Raja, 39, is charged in state court with manslaughter by culpable negligence and attempted first-degree murder with a firearm, and is being sued for wrongful death in federal court.
The death of the 31-year-old Boynton Beach man, whose SUV broke down after a band performance, sparked national attention at a time when police use of force, especially involving black men, has been under scrutiny.
The state attorney's office, which accuses Raja of "unlawfully killing a young man who was in need of assistance," also released Tuesday:
_A recorded statement by Raja at 7:50 a.m. on the day of the shooting, walking with investigators at the shooting scene next to the Interstate 95 exit ramp in Palm Beach Gardens.
_An FBI video reconstruction of the shooting, including graphics, audio recordings and photographs of the scene.
_Statements by hundreds of people, including civilians who were staying at hotels near the highway and various law enforcement officers.
_Photographs of the crime scene and reports from two medical experts who reviewed the case files.
Another key piece of evidence in the case, Raja's 911 call, was released last July by Palm Beach Gardens Police, also in response to inquiries from reporters.
While all of the materials were released months ago to Raja's attorneys, the public has had to wait while some classified information was redacted from the prosecutors' files.
Raja remains on house arrest, with a GPS ankle monitor to track his movements, under the terms of a $250,000 bond. Seven months ago, a grand jury that examined some of the evidence _ and may have heard the recording of the Jones' shooting _ found the use of force was unjustified.
The manslaughter charge is punishable by up to 15 years in prison; the attempted murder count could bring a sentence of up to life in prison.
Richard Lubin, Raja's lead criminal defense attorney, has accused prosecutors of trying to "appeal to the emotions of the community" and he cited the danger of "a rush to judgment."
The Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association supports Raja, and the union is helping to pay his legal expenses.
After Raja was charged, the union called the shooting "tragic" and also said "it is upsetting that a police officer _ met by a subject who points a firearm at him _ is not legally allowed to defend himself while in fear for his life."
Raja, who at the time of the shooting was still on probation, was fired by the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department on Nov. 12, 2015.
A Delray Beach city housing inspector and part-time musician, Jones was driving home after a gig in Jupiter when his SUV broke down about 1:30 a.m. Raja had been assigned to patrol parking lots in response to a string of late-night vehicle burglaries.
About 3:15 a.m., Raja approached Jones in an unmarked cargo van in plain clothes without identifying himself as a police officer, which was "a tactically unsound, unsafe and grossly negligent manner," Raja's arrest report reads.
Jones' loved ones and their attorneys point to the call with AT&T roadside assistance operator, described in the report, as the key toward both arresting the former officer and prosecuting him.
On the call, Jones is first heard saying, "Huh?" as Raja approached Jones' vehicle.
"I'm good. Yeah, I'm good," Jones said.
"Really?" Raja responded. "Yeah," Jones said.
At that point, Raja begins screaming, "Get your (expletive) hands up! Get your (expletive) hands up!"
"Hold on! Hold on!" Jones insists.
"Get your (expletive) hands up! Drop!" Raja said.
Within the next two seconds, two gunshots are heard on the recording. Jones, who had a licensed firearm that night, never fired his .380-caliber handgun, according to the report.
"Oh my gosh," said Madeleine Tolliver, the dispatcher on the line.
After about 10 seconds, Raja fired three more shots "more deliberately" at one shot every second, with at least one of those shots fired as a "frightened" Jones ran away, prosecutors said, again pointing to the recording.
Raja fired a total of six shots from his personal .40-caliber Glock pistol, hitting Jones three times, according to prosecutors. A medical examiner's report states Jones died from a gunshot wound to the chest, and he also had bullet wounds in both arms.
Raja didn't know Jones was on the phone with a roadside assistance operator when he approached the vehicle, according to the report.
The call proves Jones was "peacefully" waiting in his SUV and "posed no reasonable threat of physical harm" to the officer, according to the civil lawsuit filed by Jones' estate and his father, Clinton Jones Sr.
"The use of force was unreasonable and clearly excessive," the lawsuit states.
Attorney Benjamin Crump told reporters he expects criminal convictions after a jury hears the recording.
"It reveals that the conduct of Officer Raja was reprehensible and an insult to all good police work that is done in America," Crump said.
About 33 seconds after Raja fired his final shot, he called 911 from his personal cellphone.
Because of the state's public records law, Palm Beach Gardens Police edited out a portion of the call where Raja identified himself to the operator.
As the copy of the recording begins, Raja yells an expletive and is heard screaming for a man to drop the "gun right now!"
But Raja must have realized Jones had already dropped his gun and Raja kept discharging his firearm anyway, according to prosecutors.
Near the start of the 911 call, Raja reported he "got one down. I just shot one person."
About 27 seconds into the recording Raja suddenly again yells, "drop the g ... "
"Get me some units, I've lost contact with him, I don't know where he is," Raja said. The officer then described for the operator his version of the incident:
"Black male wearing all black, dreads, had a silver handgun in his right hand. I came out, I saw him come out with a handgun. I gave him commands. I identified myself and he turned, pointed the gun at me and started running. I shot him," Raja said, before walking back to the van where he had left his police radio.
A second 911 recording also has been released. A woman staying at the nearby DoubleTree hotel reported hearing gunshots outside her window.
"There's a guy walking backwards, holding a gun," she said, later adding that it was difficult to see because of trees blocking her view. That call ends with sirens as police arrive at the scene.
Circuit Judge Samantha Schosberg Feuer said she would like the case to come to trial in the summer. The next court hearing is Feb. 21.
