Don King leads rally for justice for Corey Jones
RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. —Boxing promoter Don King called for sweeping changes to "the system" in the wake of the shooting death of Corey Jones.
Jones was killed by a plainclothes police officer in Palm Beach Gardens last week.
King spoke at a community rally in Jones' honor Monday night at the Hilltop Baptist Church in Riviera Beach. He started by addressing Jones' family.
"While I am very saddened, very sorrowful, I must say that I'm not surprised," King said.
King called the shooting just a symptom of the larger problem. He repeatedly referred to "the system" and said we live in a culture that's made it OK to kill.
He quoted President John F. Kennedy, calling for change.
"Now is the time for this nation to live up to its promise," he said. "Now is the time."
About 1,000 people attended the rally, including a number of elected officials.
They all echoed the message for change.
"I promise Corey because his life was taken away," said Joseph Russo, a Palm Beach Gardens councilman. "We can't let it be taken in vain."
"We want federal legislation to make sure that there will never be another Corey Jones," Riviera Beach Mayor Thomas Masters said.
Masters said a group of officials will meet with the Department of Justice next month to demand changes, including mandatory civilian oversight of the police and cameras in every police car and on every police officer.
MORE: Riviera Beach Mayor: Some calling for special prosecutor in Corey Jones’ investigation
"This is not about a moment," Masters said. "It's about a movement."
Among those applauding the call for change were members of Jones' family, who thanked the crowd for all of the support.
"Our problems, you're making them everybody's problems," said Jones' grandfather, Bishop Sylvester Banks.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the family pay for funeral expenses. Many at the rally donated, including King, who handed over $10,000 in cash.
You can help by visiting the GoFundMe page here: www.gofundme.com/justiceforcorey
