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A Miami Police officer shot 46-year-old
therapist, Charles Kinsey, who was caring for his
23-year-old autistic student. Kinsey and the student were on
the ground. Kinsey, a black man, had his hands up in
surrender and was laying on his back stating, “Don’t shoot
me” and informed the officers his autistic patient had a toy
truck in his hand and not a gun.
The police officer opened fire shooting at
Kinsey three times. Kinsey was shot in the leg. Kinsey
exclaimed, “Sir, why did you shoot me?” The officer
responded “I don’t know.” Rather than get Kinsey help, the
officer cuffed and arrested him and his autistic patient.
Foul!
The officer’s name is being withheld by
North Miami Beach Police Chief Gary Eugene. It has since been
revealed police were trying to shoot the autistic man, which
is even worse on their part. The officer should face
criminal charges and be stripped of his badge, because if he
does something like this again, he could kill an innocent
person. Kinsey should sue them as well. However, police are
already discussing a potential settlement.
Police shot Charles Kinsey who was laying on the ground, hands up in surrender and stating "Don't shoot me!" Kinsey disabled, autistic patient sits beside him understandably confused at why they are being criminally harassed by police.
This is not the first time something like
this has happened in Miami. It reminds me of a similar story
regarding what transpired in Miami in 2011, regarding one of the
disabled adult students at the school my mother used to
teach.
All the students were wonderful, mentally disabled adults
who were learning life skills and how to function in the
world. It was great to see them grow as people in learning
everyday things you and I often taken for granted.
One of the disabled students who attended
the school was a 56-year-old mentally impaired black man named Ernest. He was a kind,
sweet and humorous man, who due to his mental disability,
had the mental age of an 8-year-old. He was a very nice man
and good person loved by all who knew him. He would say
things that made people smile or laugh.
One day he found a toy gun on the street
that fascinated him. Officers confronted him. An officer yelled at him
regarding the toy, believing the
gun was real and shot and killed him. Ernest's neighbors on
the street stated to reporters that police should have known
he was disabled. If they had talked to Ernest for even a few
seconds they would have realized he was mentally disabled.
However, they didn't bother. They killed him instead. Everybody
was devastated. Ernest was killed like his life wasn’t worth
anything. He didn’t deserve that. Nothing came of the
incident, as the police officer got away with it, while Ernest
lost his life. It was not right. However, that's the justice
system for you - corrupt.
Charles Kinsey reenacts the shooting in the hospital to illustrate the injustice that transpired against him
It was piss poor police work. And this is
what troubles me about so many incidents like this, the ease
and quickness with which some, not all officers, take a
life. Why be so confrontational. Why not exercise some
consideration for human life. Why not be negotiators instead
of adversarial individuals so aggressively confronting
others.
In some cases select officer are putting
themselves in trouble in going right up to people then
killing them (Alton Sterling, Tamir Rice, Philando Castile,
Eric Garner and many others). Why not maintain a safe distance and negotiate
with the subject. Talk to them from a safe space. Even use
the bull horn from your squad car. Why charge right up to
people and shot within seconds, then claim your life was in
danger. That’s a load of crap. You put your life in danger
doing that and often against unarmed people.
If criminals open fire on police, then yes,
officers' lives are most certainly in danger. But to shoot at a
person who has their arms up in surrender or has their back
turned to you running away is patently wrong. That’s not
justice. That’s an execution. That’s vengeance. That’s anger
and vindictiveness stating through actions, "How dare you run away from me."
Once again, not all officer do this, but
some do and thousands of people in America have died brutal
deaths because
of it. Officers owe the public a duty of care. At the end of
the day, some people just aren't cut out to be police
officers and innocent people paid for it with their lives (Police
Officer Who Shot And Killed 12-Year-Old Black Boy Was Initially
Rejected From The Police Force As 'Mentally Unprepared' And 'Weepy').
RELATED READING
N. Miami Beach Officer Shoots Mentally Disabled Man Carrying Toy Gun
N. Miami Beach Officer Shoots Mentally Disabled Man Carrying Toy Gun
August 31, 2011 11:15 PM - North Miami Beach
Police are piecing together an officer-involved shooting
that left a mentally disabled man dead early Wednesday
evening. Officers tell CBS4′s Natalia Zea that a man
carrying a rifle was seen walking through a neighborhood in
the area of Northeast 155th Terrace and 14th Avenue.
Witnesses say the man even pointing the
rifle at a dog at one point. Police say several neighbors
called 911 to report the incident. Police say when officers
arrived, there was some sort of confrontation and one
officer to open fire on the man. But their investigation
revealed that the “rifle” was in fact, a realistic looking
toy. The injured man was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital
where he later died.
Family members say the man police killed is
56-year-old Ernest Vassell. “They murdered him in cold blood
for a toy gun!” cried Vassell’s older sister Claire Harding.
“That’s no reason for you to kill somebody!” Vassell’s
sisters say they have never seen him with a toy gun, they
believe he must have found it somewhere. They say he was
mentally disabled after a brain injury as a child and that
he has never been violent.
“They could tell him to drop the gun, they
say they told him to drop it and he raised his hand, he
probably raised his hand to hand them the gun because he is
afraid of police,” said Harding. The family is demanding
answers and changes to the North Miami Beach Police
Department. “They should train these police officers
better,” said Harding. “This is ridiculous, they just go
around killing people for nothing.”
Police maintain the toy gun appeared to be a
real rifle. One officer is on administrative leave while
police and the state attorney’s office investigate.
http://miami.cbslocal.com
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