Miami, FL — Charles Kinsey, a 47-year old man from South Florida, was shot in the leg by a Miami police officer as he laid on the ground with his hands up. The incident, which was caught on a cell phone camera, clearly shows Kinsey lying on the ground with his hands raised, explaining to the officers that he and the 23-year old autistic man he was assisting are unarmed.Kinsey is a therapist who works with people with disabilities. He can be heard on the video clearing telling officers that the object in his patient’s hands is just a toy truck, and that he is trying to help him. Moments later, at least one officer, fires his weapon at Kinsey and handcuffs him. Fortunately, he survived to tell the story.
He told reporters, “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.’”
According to the North Miami Police Department, officers were dispatched to the scene of the shooting after receiving a 911 call about a man with a gun threatening suicide. They released an official statement saying: “Arriving officers attempted to negotiate with two men on the scene, one of whom was later identified as suffering from autism. At some point during the on-scene negotiation, one of the responding officers discharged his weapon, striking the employee.”
The department also says that the officer who shot Kinsey has been placed on administrative leave. His name, however, and whether or not he will face charges has not been revealed. It has has been revealed, though, that the officer is a 30-year Hispanic male, and that the State’s Attorney is already a part of the investigation.
This unfortunate incident only fuels what many have been protesting about for the past few weeks – that unarmed African American men are disproportionately being shot and usually killed by police officers. A local organization called the Circle of Brotherhood is already pressuring police for answers.
Watch the footage below: