According to the Associated Press reported on the 9th, the police in Hollywood, Florida, issued a statement saying that a policeman mistakenly thought that the pistol in his hand was a Taser (that is, a stun gun), and shot at a man, causing him to be seriously injured and paralyzed.
Image source: US media
Police released the statement late Tuesday after lawyers announced a lawsuit seeking the release of surveillance footage of the shooting that paralyzed Michael Ortiz on July 3 last year.
The police officer who shot Ortiz is currently on duty in the office pending an investigation by Florida law enforcement. "While the investigation is still ongoing, preliminary assessments indicate that the officer, who had intended to use a Taser, fired a powder gun," the statement said. ”
Police said Ortiz, then 42, called the 911 police and said he had medication and chest pain. First responders then rushed to the scene and found the man naked and emotional, threatening to jump from the balcony of the sixth-floor apartment.
Police said in a statement that after Ortiz refused to open the door and began uttering "delusional and suicidal remarks," officers were sent to the scene to assist first responders.
A policeman with a Taser pinned to his waist Source: US media
A police officer subdued Ortiz with a Taser, but when they tried to carry him into an elevator and put him into an ambulance waiting outside, Ortiz began to resist with both legs, the statement said.
"As he resisted, a police officer opened fire and hit Ortiz." The police statement said.
But the man's lawyer gave a statement that was very different from the U.S. police statement, saying Ortiz simply called the police to say his dog was missing, then took a shower, wrapped a towel, and then the police showed up at his door. Lawyers also said some of the situations were recorded from videos taken from nearby apartment buildings.
The lawyer said in an interview: "You have to release a video to tell us why you shot a naked man lying on the ground and paralyzed him."
Police said: "We sympathize with Ortiz and his family and know they had a lot of questions about that night. We hope that once the investigation is complete, we will be able to meet with them and provide any additional information they are seeking. ”
Taser (left) and pistol (right) Source: US media
It's not uncommon for U.S. police to mistake firearms for stun guns, and in April last year, Wright, a black man in the Minneapolis area of Minnesota, United States, was shot and killed by a white police officer named Kimberly Lee. A. Porter, a 26-year police officer, originally wanted to use an stun gun, but used it as a pistol; in 2018, a Kansas police officer mistakenly shot a man while dealing with a brawl; in 2019, a pennsylvania police officer shouted "stun gun" and then shot and killed an unarmed man; in 2015, an Oklahoma reserve officer mistakenly used a pistol as an electric shock gun and shot a man.
(Editor: ZLQ)