SAVANNAH, Ga. — A former Camden County deputy who fatally shot a Florida man during a traffic stop is now facing federal charges related to repeated use of excessive force during arrests.
Staff Sergeant Buck Aldridge, who was relieved of duty following a federal grand jury indictment, is accused not only of excessive force but also of preparing misleading reports to justify his actions.
The U.S. Department of Justice indictment alleges Aldridge committed civil rights violations in multiple cases and falsified records to support his use of force.
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Georgia civil rights activist Christina Kittle, who has been closely following the case, expressed concern over the timing of Aldridge’s removal from duty. “The fact that the Officer is just now being relieved of duty is concerning,” she said.
Aldridge gained national attention after a 2023 traffic stop of 53-year-old Leonard Cure, which ended with Aldridge shooting Cure to death. The stop occurred in October 2023 on I-95 near the Florida-Georgia line. However, it remains unclear if the shooting of Cure is among the specific use-of-force incidents cited in the federal indictment.
Kittle reacted to the indictment’s 13 counts against Aldridge, calling it a reflection of a broader systemic issue. “The fact that the officer had a record showing multiple counts of excessive force — that goes back to being a systemic issue.
“There’s no accountability for these officers. The first incident of excessive force should’ve been looked into, but I think the indictment said there were like 13 cases. That should’ve never piled up that high… so yeah, needs to be a bigger look into the institution entirely.”
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She also stressed that routine traffic stops like Cure’s should never escalate to gunfire.
“Traffic stops are the most common interactions that everyday people have with police officers. I don’t wanna live in a world where they end in violence.”
Dashcam and bodycam footage from the traffic stop show a confrontation that escalated rapidly, culminating in Aldridge shooting Cure at point-blank range after deploying a stun gun.
“Who holds the accountable. Why is it up to the community to be the ones to have to finally lose somebody for there to be accountability? It should never have to come to that,” Kittle added.
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Leonard Cure was exonerated just three years before his death, after spending 16 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.
Following the shooting, Cure’s family filed a $16 million federal lawsuit accusing Aldridge of excessive force and former Sheriff Jim Proctor of failing to address the deputy’s violent history.
