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The North Miami police officer who shot an unarmed, black mental health worker caring for a patient actually took aim at the autistic man next to him, but missed, the head of the police union said Thursday.
It was a stunning admission from the police officer and from John Rivera, who heads up Miami-Dade’s Police Benevolent Association. But it was one meant to calm the fears of a nation besieged with cellphone videos of police shooting and sometimes killing unarmed black men.
In this case, Rivera said, the officer wound up wounding the man he was trying to save.
“I couldn’t allow this to continue for the community’s sake,” Rivera said Thursday during a hastily called press conference at the union’s Doral office. “Folks, this is not what the rest of the nation is going through.”
North Miami police and investigators have been tight-lipped since the Monday shooting, even as video of most of the encounter has been released. The story gained international attention and public pressure for answers mounted.
As I'd suspected. Three shots from a rifle at a relatively close distance and not one of them hit the intended target. That cop shouldn't be on the force.
Retired firearms expert Robert Hoelscher, who spent 50 years with the Miami-Dade Police Department, said it’s hard to percieve how the situation was misjudged, but it was — grossly.
“I wish there was something positive I could say. You arrive on scene and a guy’s playing with a toy truck. Why do you bring out the assault rifle?” Hoelscher asked. “You can’t get enough training when you’re dealing with lethal force. This is as bad a situation as I’ve ever seen. It’s a good thing he was obviously a lousy marksman.”
How is it better that the police officer was trying to shoot the autistic guy holding a toy truck?
Who said that?
I said that the truth is always helpful in understanding literally.... anything, even when it is horrible. Scientific method doesn't work with opinions.
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