Florida man lies down, puts his hands up before being shot by police
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 cell phone 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."
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The cell phone video doesn't show the actual shooting, but it captures Kinsey lying down, arms in the air, telling the officers there is no need for lethal force. He also tries to calm his patient down, and tells the officers he is a behavioral therapist.
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 of his 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.
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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 says the officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave. The state attorney's office is involved in the investigation into this shooting.
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