Florida man Charles Kinsey claims he was shot in the leg by police while lying on the ground with his hands in the air. And now, local news station WSVN is airing cellphone footage, which seems to back up Kinsey's claims.
Kinsey told WSVN: "When he shot me, it was so surprising. It was like a mosquito bite."
The cell phone video doesn't show the actual shooting, but it appears to show Kinsey lying down, arms in the air, telling the officers there is no need for lethal force. He also tells the officers that he is a behavioral therapist and tries to calm down another man in the street, reportedly one of Kinsey's patients.
North Miami police said they were responding to reports of an armed man threatening suicide in the middle of the street. Kinsey, a behavioral therapist, says that man was a patient with autism who was playing with a toy truck. Kinsey says he tried to convince the officers neither himself nor his patient was a threat.
Kinsey is currently recovering at a nearby hospital. His lawyer told WPLG the officers cuffed Kinsey and left him lying on the ground after he was shot.
Kinsey's lawyer, Hilton Napoleon, said: "My client asked the police, 'Why did he shoot me?' And the officer said, 'I don't know.'"
Kinsey's wife told WSVN, "I am just grateful that he is alive, and he is able to tell his story."
The Police Department said the officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave.
>> Watch the news report from WSVN
"The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the circumstances related to Tuesday's police-involved shooting and wounding of Charles Kinsey," state attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said in a statement. "Investigators are gathering all the evidence related to this incident... Once FDLE completes its investigation, they will provide us with their factual findings and conclusions."
"At that time, we will conduct our own investigation and review all of the evidence to determine whether the actions of the shooting officer constitute a criminal act that can be proven beyond and to the exclusion of every reasonable doubt," the statement reads.
About the Author
