A video of the shooting shows Kinsey responding to officers by lying on the ground with his hands up.
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North Miami Police Chief Gary Eugene addressed the public Thursday morning for the first time since one of his officers shot an unarmed mental healthcare worker while he was caring for a patient.
A North Miami behavior therapist trying to help a patient with autism says he was shot in the leg by cops responding to the scene – even after he laid down on the pavement and put his hands in the air. In video of the incident, Kinsey, while on his back with his hands in the air, can be heard shouting to police, “All he has is a toy truck, a toy truck”.
“Sir, there’s no need for firearms”, Kinsey said he told police before he was shot, according to WSVN. A cellphone video provided by Kinsey’s attorney Hilton Napoleon clearly shows Kinsey lying supine with his arms raised.
A Florida congresswoman says she is stunned by what she saw on video before the shooting of a black caretaker trying to coax his autistic patient into complying with officers.
Although part of the incident was captured on cell phone video, it does not appear that the actual shooting was captured, which allowed Rivera to create his own scenario.
“All he has is a toy truck”, Mr Kinsey shouted to police. Two weeks earlier, two white officers in Baton Rouge killed a black man, Alton Sterling, 37, on July 5 during a scuffle at a convenience store. He called it a “very sensitive matter” and promised a transparent investigation, but he refused to identify the officer or answer reporters’ questions.
The police official, who shot an unarmed therapist on a street, was aiming to shoot his autistic patient holding a toy gun.
Mr Kinsey is a member of the Circle of Brotherhood, a collective of African American men and community activists in south Florida.
Many noted that despite how tragic the situation is, society may try to criminalize Kinsey, as has been a routine when black people are shot by police. Kinsey said he was more anxious about his patient than himself. I was thinking as long as I have my hands up … they’re not going to shoot me.
North Miami’s police chief walked away from a news conference after saying only that the case has been turned over to state authorities to investigate, while U.S Attorney General Loretta Lynch looks at it, too.
In an interview with the TV station, Kinsey said he never thought for a moment that he’d be shot. One of the bullets struck Kinsey in the leg.
“Why did you shoot me?”
The autistic patient, who was not armed, was yelling while Kinsey talked with police.
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“When I went to the ground, I’m going to the ground just like this here, with my hands up”, Kinsey said Wednesday while recovering in a hospital from his ordeal.
