Quote:NORTH MIAMI, FLA. (WSVN) - A therapist who works with people with disabilities is telling his story after he said police shot him while he was trying to help his patient with autism.

Cellphone video was released Wednesday afternoon showing Charles Kinsey lying on the ground with his hands in the air, telling officers that weapons are not necessary. “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. Telling them again there is no need for firearms.
He is autistic. He has a toy truck in his hand.”

In his hospital bed and wearing bandages, Kinsey said, he was attempting to calm an autistic patient who ran away from a group home. Kinsey could be heard in the video saying, “All he has is a toy truck. A toy truck. I am a behavior therapist at a group home.”

He is also heard asking his patient to calm down. “Rinaldo, please be still, Rinaldo. Sit down, Rinaldo. Lay on your stomach.”

The ordeal went on for a few minutes before Kinsey said one of the officers shot him. “I’m like this right here, and when he shot me, it was so surprising,” Kinsey said. “I thought it was a mosquito bite, and when it hit me I had my hands in the air, and I’m thinking I just got shot! And I’m saying, ‘Sir, why did you shoot me?’ and his words to me were, ‘I don’t know.'”

North Miami Police said the incident began, Monday, when someone called 911 and said there was a man walking around with a gun threatening suicide. Kinsey said the man was his patient and the alleged gun was a toy truck. “I was really more worried about him than myself. I was thinking as long as I have my hands up … they’re not going to shoot me. This is what I’m thinking, they’re not going to shoot me. Wow, was I wrong.”

Kinsey said what police did after the shooting is what upsets him the most. “They got three sets of handcuffs. They cuff my hands, and they flip me over, and I am laying on the concrete like this. I’m bleeding,” he said.

Despite everything that’s happened, Kinsey is happy to be alive. Standing by his bedside, his wife said, “Right now, I am just grateful that he is alive, and he is able to tell his story.”

Kinsey only wants to help people and is perplexed as to why officers fired. “Everytime I close my eyes I am getting flashbacks,” Kinsey said.

Around 6 p.m. Wednesday, a group called the Circle of Brotherhood stood outside the North Miami Police Department, requesting that police answer questions about what happened and if the officer responsible for shooting will face charges.

North Miami Police have not released the officer’s name or an update on their investigation. However, they did say that the State Attorney is now involved with the investigation.

Quote:Kinsey was eventually taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital to be treated for his injury.


“Arriving officers attempted to negotiate with two men on the scene, one of whom was later identified as suffering from autism,” said North Miami Police in a statement. “At some point during the on-scene negotiation, one of the responding officers discharged his weapon, striking the employee.”



According to North Miami Police, the officer responsible for shooting Kinsey has been placed on administrative leave. The statement did not mention whether he will face charges, but a state attorney is already involved with the investigation.

(07-20-2016, 11:19 PM)Tiger Teeth Wrote: Smooth move in a serious time among LEO's and the public.  It's honestly getting to the point where I, (as a white man), wouldn't want to be pulled over for a traffic stop.  I understand the stress of the job, but for christ's sake the man had his arms in the air.

(07-21-2016, 04:15 AM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: Wow. Yea killing all those cops has worked wonders. Got em totally calmed down and ready to cut every black guy they see a break.

(07-21-2016, 01:28 PM)Millhouse Wrote: Of all the shootings by cops that have made the media rounds, this is the worst one imo and the most unjustified of them all. Just imo. Glad it was just a wound, and if I was him I would be sue the hell outta of em.

(07-21-2016, 01:28 PM)Millhouse Wrote: Of all the shootings by cops that have made the media rounds, this is the worst one imo and the most unjustified of them all. Just imo. Glad it was just a wound, and if I was him I would be sue the hell outta of em.

(07-21-2016, 09:34 PM)fredtoast Wrote: In my opinion the Laquan McDonald case is by far the worst.  It was the one who shattered the
one bad apple" myth by proving that not only did the shooter lie, but 5 other cops on the scene lied to protect him.  And then the DA who knew they were all lying refused to prosecute or release the video that proved how the "Blue wall" works.

The most common defense I read about all these bad shootings (not the ones that are justified) is that "most cops are not like that".  But apparently EVERY cop will lie to protect a murderer in their ranks and many times the DA's office goes along with them.

(07-21-2016, 09:34 PM)fredtoast Wrote: In my opinion the Laquan McDonald case is by far the worst.  It was the one who shattered the
one bad apple" myth by proving that not only did the shooter lie, but 5 other cops on the scene lied to protect him.  And then the DA who knew they were all lying refused to prosecute or release the video that proved how the "Blue wall" works.

Quote:The most common defense I read about all these bad shootings (not the ones that are justified) is that "most cops are not like that".  But apparently EVERY cop will lie to protect a murderer in their ranks and many times the DA's office goes along with them.

(07-22-2016, 12:46 AM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: Wait, did you just say that one example, "shattered", an entire preconception?  Do you have any idea how absurd that sounds?



Because of one example?  Quite the sweeping generalization counselor.  I just supervised a case in which the private attorney contacted every victim and informed them that if they dropped the charges they would immediately be reimbursed financially for their losses.  However, if the case went to trial they were informed they'd likely never see a dime.  Based on your notably stringent standards of proof I can now logically infer that all defense attorneys are unethical human garbage right?  

(07-22-2016, 01:01 AM)Bengalholic Wrote:  ‘Sir, why did you shoot me?’ and his words to me were, ‘I don’t know.'

(07-22-2016, 12:26 AM)Yojimbo Wrote: Well we can all rest easy. The police union rep has said the officer shot him to protect him from the autistic guy. So, the officer was doing his job, to protect and to serve.

(07-22-2016, 09:17 AM)Belsnickel Wrote: Yeah, I saw that. So, first, we have a bad shot. And don't get me wrong, I get that the situation can create variables which I have never had to deal with, but I think that this is why having someone take a shot like that where it is their primary function might be good. But second of all, they were going to shoot an autistic person with a toy. Now, yeah, I get that they can think it's a weapon. I was just talking to a cop the other day that almost shot a suspect for pulling out a cell phone because the call was someone threatening people with a gun and it was dark. Things can be mistaken for a weapon. But the guy is trying to shout that it is a toy truck, the person is autistic, and he is a caregiver.

Bad decisions all around.

And I know you aren't necessarily condoning what happened, I had just avoided posting until now and needed to rant a little. I'm not going to sit here and say charges need to be pressed because there is more to that then we have the information on, but there needs to be disciplinary action. Maybe not even towards the shooter, but to whoever gave that order.

Quote:John Rivera, president of the Police Benevolent Association in Dade County, told reporters Thursday that the officer who fired thought Kinsey's life was in danger.

"It appeared to the officers that the white male was trying to do harm to Mr. Kinsey," Rivera said. "In fearing for Mr. Kinsey's life, the officer discharged his firearm trying to save Mr. Kinsey's life and he missed."

Kinsey, who works at the MacTown Panther Group Homes, said the man with autism ran away, and he was attempting to help him when the police encounter unfolded. Police were responding to a call about a possible suicidal man with a gun.

The unidentified officer, described as a 30-year-old Hispanic, was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. He could face charges depending on the outcome.

"I took this job to save lives and help people," the officer said in a statement Thursday released by the union. "I did what I had to do in a split second to accomplish that and hate to hear others paint me as something I'm not."
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Kinsey, 47, said in an earlier interview with a [url=http://wsvn.com/news/local/video-shows-moments-before-north-miami-police-shot-unarmed-man/]local FOX affiliate that when he asked the officer why he opened fire, he said he didn't know.

Kinsey's attorney, Hilton Napoleon, said his client also heard another officer ask the same question.

"The shooting officer said he didn't know why he shot him," Napoleon said, according to NBC Miami.

At a news conference Thursday, North Miami Police Chief Gary Eugene did not detail who was involved or how many shots were fired. He confirmed that no gun was found.

(07-22-2016, 09:58 AM)GMDino Wrote: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/north-miami-cop-who-shot-unarmed-man-charles-kinsey-i-n614766


Seriously.