Before police shooting, 911 caller cautioned man might be mentally ill
Miami Herald (FL)Jul 29, 2016
She also said that a black man was trying to help him and accurately detailed what both Kinsey and his autistic patient,
"I don't know if it's a gun. But he has something the shape of a gun, so just be careful," the caller said in a 911 recording released late Thursday by
Moments later,
First, he thanked everyone for support "all around the world." Under the advice of his attorney, he did not discuss details of a shooting that gained international attention, but he alluded to simmering tensions between the black community and police. Ambush killings in
"It's not about me," Kinsey said. "It's not about Arnaldo, either."
The
"He's doing really well," Kinsey, 47, said of Rios, whom he visited for the first time in eight days. "He gave me a real big hug. My heart is content. As long as he's fine, I'm OK."
According to the 911 call, Kinsey was spotted on the street near
When the woman who called 911 saw him, Rios was sitting in the roadway fumbling with his favorite toy truck. The woman, calling from inside her car as she passed the scene, said she was concerned it was a gun.
"There's this guy in the middle of the road, and he has what appears to be a gun," she said. "He has it to his head, and there's a guy there trying to talk him out of it."
When the operator asks whether it's a black or a white male holding a gun to his head, the caller says, "It looks like he's Spanish. A black guy is with him."
Then the operator asks what color pants the gentleman with the gun is wearing. The woman responds: "Gray, he's a Spanish guy, young kid. Spanish guy with gray shorts and gray pants. The guy that's trying to talk him out of it is green shirt and black shorts. But I think the Spanish guy looks like a mentally ill person."
They banter for a few seconds more, and the woman hangs up after saying the police have arrived. Six minutes later, another call is made to 911 from another caller who said he heard gunshots. The operator says, "Ya, just stay inside the house if you can," and the call ends.
The 911 call seems in line with what police had previously described -- that someone warned them of someone in the street with a gun. But the warning that one of the men in the street might be mentally ill appears to add a new factor to the narrative.
"I don't think there was a dispute about the 911 call," Kinsey's attorney
Those communications between police officers and their dispatcher during the Kinsey shooting have yet to be made public. Sources familiar with the shooting believe it will show that North Miami Cmdr.
Aledda has been placed on administrative leave, as is customary with any shooting. Hollant has been suspended without pay for misleading investigators. After the shooting, sources said, Hollant tried to mislead investigators by saying he wasn't at the scene.
Kinsey was trying to coax Rios back to the home when police arrived. They closed in, took aim from behind street poles and vehicles and ordered the men to lie on the ground with their hands up. Kinsey obeyed the order and can be heard on the video telling police not to shoot because there's no weapon. Rios continued fumbling with his truck, sitting upright. Aledda, a SWAT team member, fired three times with an assault rifle, one bullet striking Kinsey.
No weapon was found after the shooting. But both men were handcuffed, with Rios remaining handcuffed in the back of a patrol car for hours before they returned him to MacTown, said MacTown
Kinsey spent four days in the hospital recovering, went home and returned briefly to treat an infection. Rios has spent the past week in
After the shooting, in an unusual move,
Privately, some
On Wednesday night,
On Thursday, Kinsey and Rios spent about 30 minutes together. The behavioral therapist and father of five who does not live in
"I have to play those tapes in my head every night," he said.
He said when he entered the hospital room, Rios' mom,
"He said, 'Charles,' then he came up and gave me a big hug," Kinsey said. "I just wanted to bust out in tears."
After Kinsey made his way back into an SUV, Soto addressed the media. Dietz, the family attorney, said Rios was in
She said that when Kinsey showed up, she "told Arnaldo that I have a surprise for you. He loves surprises. When he saw Charles, he said, 'Oh my God, you have a cane. Are you okay?' "
"I am very sad -- very, very sad. I am very worried," she said. "He needs a place to live. He needs a safe place."
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