The North Miami cop who shot an unarmed caretaker who had his hands in the air while trying to kill his autistic companion for holding a toy truck was named “Officer of the Month” in September 2013 and in October 2014.
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Mr Charles Kinsey, 47, who identified himself as a caretaker of the patient, was on a city street with the patient earlier this week when officers arrived, a lawyer for Mr Kinsey said. In fact, the man was playing with a toy truck.
“Please be still. get down. lay on your stomach”, Kinsey says in the video.
Napoleon also questioned why, if police were trying to save Kinsey’s life, they rolled him over and handcuffed him as he was bleeding from a bullet wound to his leg.
North Miami police have said officers had “attempted to negotiate with the two men on the scene”.
Aledda is on leave with pay while the case is being investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, City Manager Larry Spring said during a news conference.
Police said no gun was recovered at the scene.
Rivera also read a brief statement from the officer who shot Kinsey, pleading his case.
The video, which thousands of people saw first on 7News, showed Kinsey lying on his back in the middle of a street with his arms raised, directly beside his patient, who was sitting down.
Despite this, Aledda fired three shots, one of which hit Kinsey in the leg.
As police took positions behind poles and patrol cars, they ordered both men to lie down and place their hands in the air.
“This is a case where a police officer was trying to save Mr. Kinsey’s life and, unfortunately, his shot went astray”.
Advocates for autistic people hope this week’s police shooting that involved an autistic man will lead to more training for officers so they can learn how to diffuse such situations.
“Needless to say, after viewing the video, my employee Charles Kinsey, a behavioural support professional, is a hero. He saved the life of that disabled individual”, said Bower, who runs the center for the developmentally disabled where Kinsey has worked for more than a year. “He put his own life at risk, which is evident in the video”. “I don’t understand if he’s aiming at the autistic kid, how he could miss”, Napoleon told the Herald.
“As long as I’ve got my hands up, they’re not gonna shoot me, that’s what I’m thinking”, he said.
Reports showing the video drew swift reactions on social media, with posts criticizing the officer who opened fire.
A North Miami police commander has been suspended for allegedly fabricating information about the shooting of an unarmed black therapist. They had initially declined to identify the officer, as did the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the state agency that has taken over the shooting investigation.
North Miami police officers shot and wounded an autistic man’s therapist as he tried to coax the man back to a group home.
“As your mayor of this great city of North Miami, I assure you that we will go wherever the truth takes us and any necessary decisions will be taken by the proper authorities”, North Miami Mayor Dr. Smith Joseph said.
He added that the offending officer as well as the rest of the Police Benevolent Association are wishing Kinsey a speedy recovery.
A US congresswoman whose district includes North Miami told reporters she was shocked by Kinsey’s shooting.
“This is not supposed to be happening in North Miami”.
“Officer Aledda has been diligent in his work and consistently tenacious in his efforts to combat crime and apprehend criminals”, the announcement said.
Aledda released a statement Thursday saying that his goal as a police officer has always been to save lives.
“We’re not accustomed to this tension that is evolving because of this shooting”, she said.
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The shooting she said, isn’t typical of the city, which she described as a “melting pot”. “That is not what happened and we know that is not what happened”.
