-Tamara’Shanay-

Cousins!

An appeals court has recently overturned a 2019 conviction of a former North Miami police officer that shot a Black caretaker that he he allegedly believed was holding an autistic man hostage!

In 2016 now ex officer Jonathan Aleeda made headlines for severely shooting at an autistic man and wounding his caregiver Charles Kinsey. It has been stated that Charles was trying to secure the mentally disabled man from harming himself in the middle of a city street when he was shot.

According to NBC News South Florida, Johnathan was found guilty in 2019, of misdemeanor culpable negligence for firing a shot that injured the behavior technician.

Johnathan’s legal team argues that he thought Charles was holding a gun, when in fact it was actually a silver toy car.

However earlier this month on February 16th Florida Third District Court of Appeal overturned the conviction in saying that the trial’s judge improperly ignored evidence from the SWAT team’s commander that trained him. The defense team argues that specific piece of evidence could have possibly helped his case.

According to court records obtained by Atlanta Blackstar, “We reverse and remand for a new trial because the trial court erred by refusing to allow Officer Aledda’s SWAT commander, Assistant Police Chief Angel Rivera, to testify about the training Aledda received as to SWAT (special weapons and tactics) policy and procedures for a hostage rescue.”

“We find the trial court’s refusal to allow Rivera to testify as to Aledda’s SWAT training regarding hostage procedures – has merit. And requires us to reverse Aledda’s conviction for the crime of culpable negligence.”

Sources confirm that the court will allow Aledda another trial and if he’s not found guilty he will be granted the possibility of getting his job back.