Florida police officer charged in shooting of autistic man's caretaker

Yall remember the case last year in Miami-Dade where the gentleman officer Jonathon Aledda shot the caretaker of an autistic man while he was on the floor with his hands stretched out and completely visible? yea well, he just been charged.

A North Miami, Fla., police officer is facing criminal charges in the shooting of an autistic man's caretaker this past July.

Officer Jonathan Aledda was charged with attempted manslaughter and misdemeanor culpable negligence in the shooting of Charles Kinsey, a behavioral therapist, as he lay in the street next to his client, 27-year-old Arnaldo Rios.

Rios had walked away from the group home where he lives. Kinsey was trying to coax him back when a woman called 911 saying a suicidal man was walking down the street with a gun. Rios was actually carrying his toy truck.

A cellphone video captured events leading up to the shooting.

The Florida State Attorney's office said that Officer Aledda "was not in a position to correctly assess the situation or in a position to accurately fire."

We tracked down his case file thus far (public records) :

and his arrest warrant (url links to .pdf of warrant) :

On or about Friday, April 7, 2017, the State Attorney concluded that there was sufficient evidence to formally charge Jonathon Aledda with Attempted Manslaughter by Act in violation of Sections 782.07, and 777.04, Florida Statutes, and Culpable Negligence, in violation of Section 784.05, Florida Statutes. Thereupon, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement was requested to participate in the preparation of an arrest warrant for presentation to a Judge of the Circuit Court for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida.
Your Affiant now makes application for a Warrant for the arrest of JONATHON MATTHEW ALEDDA, hereinafter referred to as the “Defendant,” for:

Well, lets see what comes of this. How does it feel to be on the other side of the law, Mr. Officer? It sucks! Don't it? #ing humiliating as hell, especially considering it happened because of your lack of firearms training and etiquette and less likely from any actual malicious intent. Damn dude, learn to handle and respect your equipment better maybe??

a reply to: worldstarcountry

About FN time.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

Bu..bu..bu..but it's what he felt was right at the time. He even SAID so. That's the magic ticket to do whatever you want, right?

a reply to: Bedlam
Well he just happened to get unlucky that there was a wormhole through time watching from around the corner. No dash or body cams. Damn wormholes!

a reply to: worldstarcountry

He has only JUST been charged? Appalling.

The video evidence alone should have had this fellow facing charges within a matter of hours of the shooting taking place. The investigation from an internal affairs perspective should also have been cut and dry, since there can of been no adequate explanation for the events as seen, other than the following.

Policeman shoots unarmed man as victim lies on the ground with his hands visible.

That is what happened, and how the officer felt at the time alters the facts not one bit.

originally posted by: TrueBrit

That is what happened, and how the officer felt at the time alters the facts not one bit.

Unfortunately, there's a bit of American jurisprudence that says anything an officer feels sets aside his poor judgement, cowardice, or 'over excitement', and permits him to do whatever rather stupid thing he or she does at the time. You'll often see this one presaged by the union condemning 'Monday morning quarterbacking'.

It was, no doubt, intended to cover snap decisions made in the heat of the moment - a worthy goal. But it was immediately seized on by police unions and used to excuse any lackluster or ridiculously incompetent performance by any officer. Like this one.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

Good, I hope he enjoys some jail time.

Off topic, but caretaker's in the UK are the descriptive term we use for janitors and such like. We call the job role 'carers' here.

a reply to: Bedlam

Well, with the greatest respect to the traditions of the courts in the USA, that bit of jurisprudence was constructed by a witless dullard, and must be scrapped at once.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

Good.

This guy did everything right and still got shot.

a reply to: rockintitz

Professional training standards for police would be a good start for the US.
It still shocks me that some counties have deputies walking the streets armed and uneducated solely at the whim of a sheriff who happens to be their mate.
Backwards third world corruption comes to my mind.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

That cop should be charge with murder and hanged.

originally posted by: TrueBrit
a reply to: Bedlam

Well, with the greatest respect to the traditions of the courts in the USA, that bit of jurisprudence was constructed by a witless dullard, and must be scrapped at once.

Immediately after the shooting, Aleppa started whining about the heat of the moment. For some reason, "I have incredibly poor judgement and shouldn't be trusted with pointy objects, much less firearms" is never a factor here. Aleppa was, in fact, a "SWAT operator".

Here's a nice link with a long long video wherein the local police union actually uses the phrase "Monday morning quarterbacking"

a reply to: worldstarcountry

It's like a scene from Police Squad or a Dave Chappelle sketch.

Two armed officers pointing their weapons from behind their vehicle. Unarmed man lying on his back with his hands in the air.

At what point did the armed officers, on this bright, sunny day, suddenly get scared and pull the trigger?

originally posted by: Kandinsky
At what point did the armed officers, on this bright, sunny day, suddenly get scared and pull the trigger?

The autistic guy had a toy truck. The original person that called in the SWAT team mentioned that she thought the evil autistic guy had a gun. It became fixated in the cops' heads that there was a gun. They became blinded to what was actually going on and didn't bother to, you know, LOOK. So the "SWAT operator" decided to open fire. To save Kinsey, you know. From the evil gun wielding autistic guy. So he shot Kinsey. Because monday morning quarterbacking. Or something

a reply to: Bedlam

Cheers

It sounds more like retro-justification for a moment of pitiful judgement.

"Oh yeah, there was a look in his eye. It was like a murderous glint and I could tell, I could see, this fellow was gonna make a move...and soon. I shot him in self-defence your Honour."

John Rivera, said that the officer who fired the bullets was aiming for Kinsey's patient, and was "trying to save Kinsey's life."

Those SWAT men are crack shots at 20 feet.

originally posted by: Kandinsky
I shot him in self-defence your Honour.

Now, now, musn't "Monday morning quarterback". Besides, as the NYC police union said, "if you criticize a police officer, they may hesitate and be shot. So by criticizing anything we do, you LITERALLY have blood on your hands"

originally posted by: grainofsand
It still shocks me that some counties have deputies walking the streets armed and uneducated solely at the whim of a sheriff who happens to be their mate.

Um, well, I have once, but only once, had to fill out my own citation because the deputy was illiterate.

a reply to: Bedlam

WTF?!!
Most new UK cops have university degrees these days as competition for positions is so high.
An illiterate cop?! You couldn't make that # up...lol if it wasn't so tragically serious.

a reply to: Bedlam

A SWAT operator?

What special weapons and tactics are we talking about here? Nerf guns and smoke grenades? Good lord!

roadgravel makes a very good point. The fact that the police officer hit the care giver while aiming at the autistic fellow, at a distance of twenty feet, not under fire, not under any sort of assault, ought to be proof positive that he ought never be permitted to carry a gun professionally. The idea of this man being permitted to carry the sort of kit a SWAT operator, is utterly terrifying.