Steve Reilly

USA TODAY

A North Miami man with autism whose caregiver was shot and wounded by a police officer Monday is "still traumatized" by the event, according to his family.

Charles Kinsey, a behavioral therapist, was shot once in the leg while trying to calm Arnaldo Rios Soto, who had wandered away from his group home.

Speaking at a Miami news conference Saturday, Miriam Rios said her brother was still wearing the same shirt that has Kinsey's blood on it and is "not the same" after the incident.

"He's having night terrors," she said. "He's not sleeping, he's not eating."

In a widely circulated cellphone video, Kinsey is seen lying on his back with his hands up while Rios sits next to him. Kinsey can be heard shouting to police that the object Rios is holding is a toy truck. Kinsey's injuries were not life-threatening.

Rios' family said Saturday that police did not handle the situation appropriately and failed to listen to Kinsey's pleas.

Matthew Dietz, an attorney for the family, said Rios is sensitive to noise and touch, and was thrown on the ground after Kinsey was shot.

Police union says officers accidentally shot Miami man

"He didn't know what was happening," Dietz said at the news conference. "They kept him in the police car for three to four hours. There's no excuse."

North Miami Police Department Officer Jonathan Aledda was placed on paid administrative leave after the incident, per departmental policy, according to the agency. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office are involved in investigating the incident.

In a written statement this week, Aledda said he "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," he said.

John Rivera, president of the Dade County Police Benevolent Association, said at a news conference Thursday that the officer fired his weapon because he believed Rios was holding a gun and about to fire, and the bullet struck Kinsey instead of Rios.

"This is not a case of police abuse," Rivera said. "This is a case where a police officer was trying to save Mr. Kinsey's life, and unfortunately his shot went astray."

Miriam Rios said Saturday that her brother still cannot process what happened.

"All I know and all I say is that an innocent man was shot, Arnaldo was witness to it," she said, "and he cannot comprehend the gravity of the situation."