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North Miami Officials ID Officer Who Shot Mental Health Caretaker

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- North Miami city officials have identified the officer who shot an unarmed mental health caretaker earlier this week.

"The officer involved in Monday's shooting is Jonathan Aledda. He is a member of our SWAT team and has been employed with the department for four years," said City Manager Larry Spring.

Officials said Friday Officer Aledda shot Charles Kinsey who was assisting a 24-year-old autistic patient that wandered away from an assisted living facility.

A second member of the North Miami Police Department involved in the incident has been placed on administrative leave without pay.

"Commander Emile Hollant was placed on leave after evidence of conflicting statements given to the investigators of this specific case. This will not be tolerated," said Spring.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) said they would investigate the circumstances that led to the officer-involved shooting.

"The police department has already conducted an initial evaluation of the matter. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has since taken over for a thorough investigation," said North Miami Mayor Dr. Smith Joseph on Friday.

Dispatch tapes make it clear police thought Kinsey's autistic client had a gun.

DISPATCH: "Verify, it looks like (inaudible) a viewing oh his gun?"

OFFICER: "He is loading up his weapon."

Charles Kinsey - Police-Involved Shooting
Charles Kinsey (Source: Facebook)

Cellphone video showed Kinsey, an employee at Miami Achievement Center for the Developmentally Disabled, laying flat on his back on the street, arms raised into the air, as he's confronted by North Miami Police.

Sitting next to him was his 24-year-old autistic client, apparently holding a toy truck. His short outbursts at Kinsey to "shut up" could be heard on video.

"He has a toy truck," Kinsey is heard shouting to officers, while still on the ground. "I am a behavior tech at the group home. That's all it is."

Through the union, the officer said they couldn't hear Kinsey's shouts. Aledda fired, the union said, intending to hit the man sitting upright but hit Kinsey instead.

Former Miami Police Chief Kenneth Harms said he doesn't know enough to say if the officer was criminally negligent but says he sure was a bad shot.

"A properly trained officer can make that shot consistently in under a three-inch circle," said Harms.

According to Kinsey's attorney, Hilton Napoleon, Kinsey spoke to the officer who pulled the trigger.

"He asked the officer, 'why did you shoot me?' And the officer said 'I don't know,'" said Napoleon.

The State Attorney's Office said they will be conducting their own investigation once the FDLE completes theirs.

"At that time, we will conduct our own investigation and review all of the evidence to determine whether the actions of the shooting officer constitute a criminal act that can be proven beyond and to the exclusion of every reasonable doubt," said Katherine Fernandez Rundle. "We will release detailed information about all of the evidence once our investigation is complete."

Kinsey was released from the hospital on Thursday.

Click here for more information on the shooting from the city of North Miami.

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