North Miami Police ID Cop Who Shot Unarmed Therapist

Kinsey’s stepdaughter, Kookie Maffett, told Local 10 News that she was the first person Kinsey called after the shooting. When they got there, they found the man sitting on the ground with his truck and Kinsey, who was trying to coax the man back inside the nearby mental health center, MacTown Panther Group Home. “I am a behavior therapist at a group home”.

“The one officer discharged his firearm trying to strike the individual that they thought was trying to bring harm onto Mr. Kinsey”. “Wow, was I wrong”. He added: “In North Miami, the relationship between the police and community has always been great, and we can not let one incident destroy that relationship”.

Kinsey and his attorney said that explanation doesn’t add up.

Officers responded to a call of an armed suspect threatening suicide, the North Miami Police Department said in a statement, reports Yahoo. The 911 callers said he had a gun pointed at his head.

She said she understands why police may have missed the signals, even though the therapist said he told officers the man was autistic and that he had a toy truck. “The officers on the scene did not know that”, he said.

Cell phone video released by Kinsey’s attorney shows part of that exchange.

Rivera said the video of the incident “poorly” portrayed the events, saying it was filmed “from a different vantage point and much closer than the officer was”.

The officers, he said, grabbed rifles from the patrol cars’ trunks and crept toward the men.

Following those two deaths, 10 law enforcement officers were fatally shot in attacks in Dallas, Baton Rouge and in a MI courthouse.

Nor was Walter Scott, hunted down and shot from behind by an officer who would claim otherwise until a videotape proved him a liar. State authorities said they’re investigating the shooting.

“They will provide us with their factual findings and conclusions”, Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said.

‘Why did you shoot me?’

Kinsey said he was handcuffed and positioned face down on the pavement for about 20 minutes before an ambulance arrived.

According to Kinsey, the officer who fired the shots seemed confused by what happened.

“If she would have told the other officers, maybe they wouldn’t have shot”, said Matthews, a 73-year-old African-American.

“From what I saw, he was lying on the ground with his hands up”.

“Sometimes police officers make mistakes”, Rivera said. Emile Hollant was placed on leave due to “evidence of conflicting statements” he gave to investigators.

“I realize there are many questions about what happened on Monday night”. “I can assure you that the community will stay informed at all times”.

Simon called on law enforcement agencies to examine policies on the use of force and responses to people with mental health issues.

A North Miami police commander has been suspended for allegedly fabricating information about the shooting of an unarmed black therapist.

Video showing most of the encounter has been released, and the shooting has gained global attention.

“This is like a nightmare to me”, Democratic Rep. Frederica Wilson said.

Both men were seen flat on the ground, with two officers standing near them.

“Our kids love electronics”, she said.

“This is not typical of North Miami”, she said.

Rivera, at the end of his news conference Thursday, read from a statement he said was from the North Miami officer who shot Kinsey.

A hospital spokeswoman said Kinsey is in good condition.

Two North Miami City councilmen, Philippe Bien-Aime and Scott Galvin, also spoke to reporters. The union president didn’t know how far the police were from Kinsey.

Napoleon said that Kinsey was physically “doing OK”. Eugene, a Haitian-American with 30 years of South Florida police experience, just became chief last week.