MIAMI (WSVN) - Prosecutors and defense attorneys delivered their opening statements in the retrial of a North Miami Police officer who shot an unarmed therapist in a viral video.
The retrial of Officer Jonathan Aledda began Thursday after he rejected a plea deal on Monday.
“He purposely, deliberately, intentionally fired three shots at Arnaldo with the intent to kill him,” prosecutor Reid Rubin said in his opening statement. “He was justified in taking the action, he testified. He justified taking those shots.”
The 32-year-old faces charges after he shot behavioral therapist Charles Kinsey in 2016.
Cellphone video taken just before the shooting showed Kinsey on the ground with his hands up telling officers his client had autism and was holding a toy truck.
When asked what happened after he was shot, Kinsey testified, “Once the bullet hit me, my whole body moved.”
Aledda’s first trial ended in March when the jury could not reach a decision for three charges.
He was acquitted of a culpable negligence charge, but the officer faces two attempted manslaughter charges and another culpable negligence charge.
“Despite the fact that there were other officers getting closer to investigate and de-escalate the situation, that man attempted to kill Arnaldo Rios Soto,” Rubin said.
Aledda turned down a plea deal, which would have sentenced him to a year of probation and no longer allow him to be an officer in the state of Florida.
When a judge asked Aledda whether he would accept the plea deal, Aledda said, “We reject the offer.”
His attorneys said Thursday there was a threat, and that’s why he opened fire.
“So he fires the second shot, and he’s trying to eliminate the threat,” his defense attorney said in court. “The threat is Mr. Rios Soto trying to execute Mr. Kinsey.”
As of 5:30 p.m., court remained in session and will resume Friday morning.
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