Miami Police Shooting Of Mentally Ill Latino Man Raises Questions

The family of a man killed by a police officer says that the mentally ill 31-year-old was off medication and was having a manic episode. Caeser Rada's family says the actor was mentally ill, but was unarmed when he was shot and killed Officer Jeffrey Price, 24, shot and killed Cesar Rada, a psychology student and aspiring actor on Sunday night at his home on Southwest 59th Terrace near 89th Avenue. Cesar's family said he was bipolar. His father, Augusto Rada, said he has had to call police in the past for trouble with his mentally ill son. Augusto Rada said Caeser Rada was agitated but unarmed when the officer arrived at the home on Southwest 59th Terrace near 89th Avenue. Police had been called after a family argument had become violent, according to witnesses. A witness said that Caeser Rada said, "Shoot me. Shoot me," as he walked toward Price, who had pulled his service revolver. The witness said Rada kept walking toward the officer until Price's gun was against his chest. Price then shot Rada three times. Rada's father and other witnesses said he was not armed.  Rada's father said his son put his hands up and continued walking toward the officer shouting, "What? You going to shoot me? Go ahead, shoot me!" Augusto Rada said he heard gunshots when his son was about three feet away from the officer. The elder Rada said he tried to jump in between the two men to protect his son.  "I fell and thought I got shot too," he recalled. "I jumped on top of my son and I looked down. I knew they killed him right there."  Rada was shot in the chest and neck area, his father said. [more] and [more]