It has been almost three decades since Florida prosecutors have secured a conviction against a law enforcement officer for an on-duty shooting. As the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s office prepares for Friday’s arraignment of a North Miami officer, it’s clear that office is trying to end that stretch.
Prosecutors, under the direction of Chief Assistant State Attorney Don Horn, plan to charge Officer Jonathan Aledda with attempted manslaughter and misdemeanor culpable negligence.
Aledda shot in the leg an unarmed behavioral therapist who was lying on his back with his hands in the air. Charles Kinsey was taking care of an autistic man who wandered away from his group home. Kinsey survived the shooting, which was filmed by a bystander.
Read more: Charles Kinsey Files Lawsuit Against Officer Who Shot Him
Horn heads a committee of senior prosecutors tasked with reviewing all police-involved shootings and in-custody deaths, so much of his job has been explaining to the community why prosecutors have chosen not to bring charges against officers. He will be prosecuting one of the few cases since he secured the last conviction of an officer, William Lozano, in 1989.
That conviction was overturned on appeal and set a new precedent for what is admissible in a criminal case against Florida law enforcement.
Listen to a conversation with the Miami Herald’s court reporter David Ovalle about Horn and the challenge of prosecuting police officers.
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