The mother of Aaron Rainey spoke with NBC10’s Yukare Nakayama about her son who was struggling with his mental health when he was shot by a Philadelphia police officer after he walked into traffic on Thursday.
A Philadelphia police officer who shot and killed a man who tried to shoot him during a scuffle outside of a hospital also accidentally shot his partner in the vest, officials revealed on Wednesday.
On Thursday, March 20, Aaron Rainey, 36, was spotted walking naked on the 5000 block of Torresdale Avenue while suffering a mental health crisis, officials said. Philadelphia Police Officer Thomas Thompson, 37, and his partner both responded to the location around 12:25 p.m. Rainey asked the officers to take him to Friends Hospital on the 4600 block of Roosevelt Boulevard, officials said.
Rainey then entered their police vehicle and they traveled to the hospital. Officials said Rainey was not handcuffed since it was a voluntary self-committal.
When the three arrived at Friends Hospital, Officer Thompson’s partner opened the police vehicle’s rear doors and explained the self-committal process to Rainey. Investigators said Rainey then became upset and rushed toward Thompson’s partner, knocking him to the ground. A fight then ensued between the two officers and Rainey, according to police.
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Investigators said Rainey tried to grab the Taser and gun from Thompson’s partner. Officer Thompson then used his Taser on Rainey but it wasn’t effective, police said. Rainey then grabbed the gun from Thompson’s partner, according to officials. Officer Thompson then pulled out his own weapon and fired, shooting Rainey. At the same time, Rainey fired toward Officer Thompson but missed him, police said. During the shootout, Officer Thompson’s partner was shot in his ballistic vest.
Police initially said that Rainey was the one who shot Thompson’s partner. On Wednesday, March 26, they revealed however that it was actually Officer Thompson who accidentally shot his partner in the vest.
Rainey was taken to the Albert Einstein Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 1:07 p.m. Both Officer Thompson and his partner were taken to Temple University Hospital where they were treated and released.
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Investigators said video footage from Friends Hospital as well as body-worn camera footage showed the incident. Police continue to investigate.
Officer Thompson is a 9-year veteran of the Philadelphia police department assigned to the 15th Police District. He has been placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of the investigation. His partner is a 30-year-old man and five-year veteran of the 15th District.
Rainey’s mother, Tonya Kersey, told NBC10 her son had struggled with mental health issues for years. She described him as a “protector” and a good father who helped others.
"He was a good guy. He did not deserve to be shot dead. All he was trying to do is try to go to Friends Hospital to see if they could help him," Kersey said.
Kersey told NBC10 that she believes more could have been done to avoid the incident. She wants other parents to open their hearts when they see their kids struggling.
“If you have someone in your family who has mental issues, do not turn a blind eye,” she said. “Find out what's going on.”
