Charles Kinsey, an unarmed black man, had his hands in the air when he was shot three times by Miami police.
Cops were responding to a report that a man was holding a gun and threatening suicide, according to WSVN. When police arrived, Kinsey ― a 47-year-old behavioral therapist ― told the cops that he was trying to help the man, who is his 23-year-old patient with autism. Kinsey tells the police that both of them are unarmed and his patient has a toy truck in his hand, not a gun.
In a video, taken by a bystander moments before and after the shooting, Kinsey is seen on the ground with his hands in the air as his patient sits at his feet. The video doesn’t show the exact moment police shot him, but his attorney told NBC Miami that he was handcuffed and left in the road until an ambulance arrived.
Fortunately, he survived to tell his story.
From his hospital bed, he told WSVN that when he asked the officer “why did you shoot me.” He responded, “I don’t know.”
People on Twitter expressed how upset they were by the shooting, particularly given the recent police killings of two black men, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, earlier this month. Social media users point out that Kinsey did everything black people are taught to do during a police encounter and still was shot for a reason no one knows ― not even the cop who pulled the trigger.
Many noted that despite how tragic the situation is, society may try to criminalize Kinsey, as has been a routine when black people are shot by police. Others, including Questlove, pointed out the hypocritical silence of the “all lives matter-ers.” And while several said they were relieved Kinsey is still alive, they couldn’t ignore the inescapable reality of racism in law enforcement.
Their tweets are hard-hitting and shine a light on the devaluing of black lives.
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