A jury acquitted a police officer of one misdemeanor charge but deadlocked on three other charges Friday after the officer wounded an unarmed caretaker when shooting at an autistic man.
North Miami police officer Jonathan Aledda testified that he believed a silver toy in the hand of autistic man Arnaldo Rios Soto was a gun and that Rios was holding his caretaker, Charles Kinsey, hostage, according to the Miami Herald.
Five members of the Florida jury believed his testimony and voted to acquit him of all charges, but one juror held out, acquitting him of a culpable negligence charge but leaving the judge to declare a mistrial on two counts of felony attempted manslaughter and one count of culpable negligence, according to the Herald.
{mosads} The charge on which he was acquitted was for shooting at Rios. Miami-Dade County prosecutors now have to decide if they want to retry Aledda on the other charges.
In 2016, Aledda shot Kinsey in the thigh. Rios was not harmed.
Cellphone video of the altercation that circulated on the internet appeared to show Kinsey lying on the ground with his hands up and attempting to explain that he was a behavioral therapist before being shot. Other offices testified that they determined Rios was not a threat during the altercation.
Rios’s family and Kinsey are suing the city of North Miami.