North Miami Police Department to fire officer after conviction

Jonathan Aledda found guilty of culpable negligence

NORTH MIAMI, Fla. ā€“ The North Miami Police Department announced Tuesday afternoon that it has provided Officer Jonathan Aledda with a notice of intent to terminate following his conviction on one count of culpable negligence in the shooting of Charles Kinsey.

Effective immediately, Aleddaā€™s status has been changed to administrative leave without pay, Maj. Annmarie Cardona said in a news release.

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"We respect the criminal justice system, and we are empathetic to the feelings of all who have been affected by this tragic incident. This case has impacted us all as a community,"Ā Cardona said.Ā 

Aledda was found not guilty Monday on two counts of attempted manslaughter.

"We thought he never should've been charged to begin with and we're disappointed that he was convicted or they found him guilty of a misdemeanor," defense attorney Douglas Hartman said after Monday night's verdict.

Video of the 2016 shooting made national headlines.Ā 

Arnaldo Rios, then 26, escaped from the group home where Kinsey worked as his caretaker.Ā 
Rios, who has severe autism, ended up sitting in the middle of Northeast 127th Avenue at Northwest 14th Street with a silver toy truck in his hands.

Kinsey sat beside him to calm him down. But when witnesses called police reporting a man with a gun, things escalated with Aledda firing his weapon, shooting Kinsey in the leg.

Aledda testified in his retrial that he thought Kinsey's life was in danger and that he was forced to fire at Rios, inadvertently shooting Kinsey instead.


About the Author:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.