Police in Miami have defended the officer who shot an unarmed behavioural therapist, saying he missed his actual target – a man with learning difficulties.

Charles Kinsey, who was looking after an autistic patient, was filmed lying on the floor with his hands in the air moments before he was shot and injured in the leg by an unidentified police officer.

John Rivera, president of the Dade County Police Benevolent Association, said video footage of the incident was “being portrayed poorly”.

“This wasn't a mistake in the sense that the officer shot the wrong guy or he thought that Kinsey was the bad guy,” Mr Rivera told CNN.

“The movement of the white individual [the autistic patient Mr Kinsey was looking after] made it look like he was going to discharge a firearm into Mr Kinsey and the officer discharged trying to strike and stop the white man and unfortunately, he missed the white male and shot Mr Kinsey by accident.”

Campaigners have criticised the shooting, saying Mr Kinsey was unarmed and cooperating with police, and pointing out it appeared obvious from the video footage that the patient did not have a gun.

“Mr Kinsey did everything right, let's be real clear about that,” Mr Rivera said. He added the officer who shot him “wishes nothing but the best for Mr Kinsey and the officer is praying for his speedy recovery as are we”.

Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Show all 19 1 /19 Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Protestors demand justice for Philando Castile on July 7, 2016 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Stephen Maturen/Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Protestors lie in an intersection during a demonstration for Philando Castile on July 7, 2016 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Stephen Maturen/Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Protestors lie in an intersection during a demonstration for Philando Castile on July 7, 2016 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Stephen Maturen/Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Protestors demand justice for Philando Castile on July 7, 2016 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Stephen Maturen/Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Protesters march throughout New York City. Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Protesters march throughout New York City. Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Protesters are arrested by NYPD as they call for justice throughout New York City. Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Protesters are arrested by NYPD as they call for justice throughout New York City. AFP/Getty Images Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Protestors rally outside the White House in Washington, DC on July 7, 201. Black motorist Philando Castile, 32, a school cafeteria worker, was shot at close range by a Minnesota cop and seen bleeding to death in a graphic video shot by his girlfriend that went viral Thursday, the second fatal police shooting to rock America in as many days. / AFP / PAUL J. RICHARDS (Photo credit should read PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Protestors rally outside the White House in Washington, DC on July 7, 201. Black motorist Philando Castile, 32, a school cafeteria worker, was shot at close range by a Minnesota cop and seen bleeding to death in a graphic video shot by his girlfriend that went viral Thursday, the second fatal police shooting to rock America in as many days. / AFP / PAUL J. RICHARDS (Photo credit should read PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Demonstators rally in the middle of Times Square after they march through the city and call for justice for Alton Sterling and Philandro Castile on July 7, 2016 in New York. Black motorist Philando Castile, 32, a school cafeteria worker, was shot at close range by a Minnesota cop and seen bleeding to death in a graphic video shot by his girlfriend that went viral Thursday, the second fatal police shooting to rock America in as many days. / AFP / TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Protestors gather outside the White House in Washington, DC on July 7, 201. Black motorist Philando Castile, 32, a school cafeteria worker, was shot at close range by a Minnesota cop and seen bleeding to death in a graphic video shot by his girlfriend that went viral Thursday, the second fatal police shooting to rock America in as many days. / AFP / PAUL J. RICHARDS (Photo credit should read PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Demonstators march through the city to call for justice for Alton Sterling and Philandro Castile as they rally in the middle of Times Square July 7, 2016 in New York. Black motorist Philando Castile, 32, a school cafeteria worker, was shot at close range by a Minnesota cop and seen bleeding to death in a graphic video shot by his girlfriend that went viral Thursday, the second fatal police shooting to rock America in as many days. / AFP / TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Demonstators march through the city to call for justice for Alton Sterling and Philandro Castile as they rally in the middle of Times Square July 7, 2016 in New York. Black motorist Philando Castile, 32, a school cafeteria worker, was shot at close range by a Minnesota cop and seen bleeding to death in a graphic video shot by his girlfriend that went viral Thursday, the second fatal police shooting to rock America in as many days. / AFP / TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Demonstrators gather at the Governor's Mansion in St. Paul, Minnesota, on July 7, 2016, to protest the latest shooting of a black man by police in Falcon Heights, Minessota. Philando Castile, 32, a school cafeteria worker, was shot by police after being pulled over while driving. The incident was captured in a video viewed by some two million people Thursday, as civil rights investigators probed a similar incident in Louisiana. / AFP / Joy Powell (Photo credit should read JOY POWELL/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police BATON ROUGE, LA -JULY 06: (EDITORS NOTE: Image contains profanity.) Protesters dance in the street near the convenience store where Alton Sterling was shot and killed, July 6, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Sterling was shot by a police officer in front of the Triple S Food Mart in Baton Rouge on Tuesday, July 5, leading the Department of Justice to open a civil rights investigation. (Photo by Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images) (Photo by Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images) Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police BATON ROUGE, LA -JULY 06: Protesters march to the convenience store where Alton Sterling was shot and killed, July 6, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Sterling was shot by a police officer in front of the Triple S Food Mart in Baton Rouge on Tuesday, July 5, leading the Department of Justice to open a civil rights investigation. (Photo by Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images) Getty

The officer, identified only as a 30-year-old Hispanic male with four years’ police experience, has been placed on leave since the shooting. He released a statement about the incident, but stopped short of an apology. He said: “I took this job to save lives and help people.

“I did what I had to do in a split second to accomplish that and hate to hear others paint me as something I’m not.”

At a news conference on Thursday, North Miami Police Chief Gary Eugene said the investigation had been turned over to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the local state attorney. He called it a “very sensitive matter” and promised a transparent investigation.

Despite not responding to questions from the media about the incident, he assured journalists: “We will get all the answers.”

The shooting comes amid a period of extreme tension over shootings by police and shootings of police.

Prior to those attacks, a black man, Alton Sterling, 37, was fatally shot during a scuffle with two white officers at a convenience store.