Unarmed Black Therapist Shot While Lying on Ground with Hands Up

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Summary: While lying on the ground with his arms in the air, a Florida man was still shot by police.

Charles Kinsey, 47, said it felt like a “mosquito bite.” The North Miami behavior therapist was describing the bullet wound he received on Wednesday afternoon while trying to help his patient on the street. Passerby recorded the incident on a cell phone, and the footage has since gone viral.

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That day, a 23-year-old autistic patient escaped the care center where Kinsey worked, and Kinsey left to retrieve him. Moments later, the autistic patient was sitting in the middle of the street, playing with a toy when police arrived. They were responding to a 911 call that said a man with a weapon wanted to kill himself. According to Kinsey’s lawyer Hilton Napoleon, Kinsey was told to get on the ground after he put his hands up.

  

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The footage shows Kinsey lying on the ground with his hands in the air. While in that position, he tells the police that he’s an unarmed behavior therapist and that the man next to him is autistic and holding a toy. The autistic man sat next to him while continuing to hold the toy, and he appeared to be white or Latino.

Kinsey told WSVN-Channel 7 that after he was shot, he asked the officer why his weapon was discharged. He said the officer said, “I don’t know.” Kinsey also said that after he was shot, he was flipped over and handcuffed. He was eventually taken to the hospital and is expected to be released today.

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North Miami police have yet to provide an explanation of why Kinsey was shot. They stated that an investigation is ongoing and is being conducted by the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office. The name of the officer has yet to be released, but he has been placed on administrative leave.
The Miami Herald reported that Kinsey and the city are already negotiating a possible settlement.

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Source: The Miami Herald