But the North Miami police officer who shot Kinsey was actually trying to protect him, and meant to shoot the autistic man next to him, but missed, the head of the police union said Thursday.
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According to Reuters, behavioral therapist Charles Kinsey was hospitalized after he was shot three times in the leg by a North Miami police officer during an incident on Monday, media said. Kinsey is now hospitalised for a gunshot wound.
After the shooting, Mr Kinsey said he asked an officer why he was shot and he said “I don’t know”.
A video of the shooting shows Kinsey responding to officers by lying on the ground with his hands up.
In Florida, Kinsey’s attorney, Hilton Napoleon, provided a cellphone video to the Herald on Wednesday taken moments before the shooting. Neither he nor Kinsey were immediately available for comment. “He is autistic. He has a toy truck in his hand”, Kinsey told WVSN.
“Mr Kinsey did everything right, let’s be real clear about that”, Mr Rivera said.
“All he has is a toy truck in his hand”, Charles Kinsey, the man lying on his back, yells at two police officers standing behind telephone poles just a few dozen feet away on NE 14th Avenue. “When I went to the ground, I went to the ground with my hands up”, Kinsey said, “and I am laying there just like this”.
From his hospital bed, he told WSVN that when he asked the officer “why did you shoot me”.
They acted “with that threat in mind”, Eugene said. Rivera said the officer thought that the autistic man was attempting to harm Kinsey. The officer replied, “I don’t know”.
Police said they responded after reports that a disturbed man was walking around with a gun threatening to kill himself on Monday.
The unidentified officer, described as a 30-year-old Hispanic, was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.
“All he has is a toy trunk in his hands”.
The autistic man told him to “shut up” and did not comply. Fearing for his patient’s safety, he was also heard asking Rinaldo to sit still and lay on the ground.
The United States has seen demonstrations from coast to coast over the use of excessive force by police, especially toward black men. Earlier this month, black shooters opened fire at the police in Dallas and Baton Rouge, killing a total of eight officers, including one African American. Kinsey and his attorney have made comments that indicate their plans to pursue litigation against the Miami Police. No gun was found at the scene.
But there were more questions than answers. “I assure you well will get all the answers”.
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During the press conference Eugene also said that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is taking over the investigation.
