Police who shot black therapist 'meant to shoot autistic patient'

The police shooting of a black therapist in Miami was "accidental" as the officer had intended to shoot the man's autistic patient instead, says a Florida union.

Charles Kinsey was fired at three times while lying on the ground holding both hands in the air next to a 23-year-old man with autism.

The incident was caught on a video in which Kinsey, who received a gunshot wound to the leg, can be heard telling police his patient is holding a toy truck, reports the Washington Post.

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John Rivera of the Dade County Police Benevolent Association, which is representing the officer, said the policeman had intended to shoot the patient, believing he posed a danger. However, he missed and hit the therapist.

Claiming the video footage was "being portrayed poorly", he said: "The movement of the white individual made it look like he was going to discharge a firearm into Mr Kinsey and the officer discharged trying to strike and stop the white man and, unfortunately, he missed the white male and shot Mr Kinsey by accident."

Howard Simon, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, condemned the shooting. "Thankfully, Mr Kinsey is alive and not more gravely injured - but had the officer's weapon been pointed just a few degrees differently, this senseless incident could have been a much greater tragedy," he told CNN.

US congresswoman Frederica Wilson, whose district includes north Miami, said it was a "nightmare" situation but argued it wasn't typical of the city, which she described as a "melting pot".