FORT LAUDERDALE – A Hollywood law enforcement officer who reportedly shot a naked, handcuffed person has been criminally billed.
Henry Andrews, 49, is experiencing 1 count of culpable negligence, inflicting true own injury, a initial-degree misdemeanor. If convicted, he faces up to a 12 months in jail.
The taking pictures took place on July 3, 2021, just after law enforcement reported Michael Ortiz, 42, had identified as 911 declaring he experienced taken medication and was suffering from upper body pains.
Paramedics arrived first. Ortiz, naked and agitated, emerged from a sixth-floor condominium and threatened to bounce from a balcony, explained police.
A witness at the time advised CBS4 that Ortiz struggled with the paramedics. She explained the police arrived shortly right after.
“I read them scuffling and arguing and it seemed like he experienced handcuffs on,” she stated.
That’s when a further officer arrived on the scene.
“By the time he had come up, almost everything had escalated. Next issue I know I read a shot,” the witness mentioned.
On the day of the shooting, law enforcement reported Ortiz was building “delusional and suicidal statements.” They reported Ortiz made use of his legs to resist staying place into restraints as they experimented with to transfer him into an elevator to a waiting rescue auto.
Hollywood police said Andrews meant to grab his Taser, but as a substitute grabbed his gun and fired the life-altering shot.
The taking pictures left Ortiz paralyzed and in will need of all-around-the-clock care.
