MIAMI (WSVN) - The trial of a North Miami Police officer who allegedly shot an unarmed behavioral therapist while that therapist tried to help an autistic patient has entered its fourth day.
First responders shared their experiences on the witness stand at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building in Miami of what they saw when they arrived to the scene in July of 2016.
This comes a day after Charles Kinsey, the behavioral therapist who was shot, testified against Jonathan Aledda, the police officer who allegedly shot him.
“We witnessed two individuals sitting on the floor in the middle of the street, handcuffed,” Miami-Dade Fire Rescue paramedic Darren Thompson said.
“Did you see any blood on his clothes?” a prosecutor asked.
“Yeah, he had blood through his shorts, and there was blood on the floor as well,” Miami-Dade Fire Rescue paramedic Laury Hernando said.
The viral video of the scene was seen by millions of people online.
“All he has is a toy truck,” Kinsey is heard saying with his arms up in the 2016 video. “A toy truck. I am a behavior therapist at a group home.”
Kinsey described the scene in more detail on the witness stand, Thursday.
“When they pulled up, I see them jump out the car, trunks popped open, and they went into their trunks and pulled out an assault rifle,” he said.
After a lengthy investigation, prosecutors said Aledda wasn’t justified in the shooting, since the officers closest to Kinsey weren’t in fear for their lives and the other officers said over the radio that there was no gun.
The defense made the argument that despite Kinsey being shot, the injuries were not life-threatening.
“He was awake?” questioned Aledda’s defense attorney.
“Yes,” Thompson responded.
“He was conscious?” the attorney further questioned.
“Yes, sir,” Thompson said.
“He responded to your questions?” the attorney questioned.
“Yes, sir,” Thompson replied.
A sergeant with the North Miami Police Department also testified, saying Kinsey’s hands were always in the air until he was shot.
“He was lying down with his hands up, straight up in the air,” North Miami Police Sgt. Milton Reid said. “Periodically, he would sit up.”
North Miami Police Officer Alens Bernadeau testified Friday.
“At that time, I was trying to get information to verify what exactly the object was the subject at the time was holding,” Bernadeau said. “It wasn’t 100 percent, but I did get close enough to the last point, and he said it was a toy gun or a car, or something like that.”
The trial is set to resume on Monday at 9 a.m.
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