An Orange County grand jury cleared an Ocoee police officer of any criminal wrongdoing in a February 2024 shooting.
Last February 15th, Ocoee Police Department officers responded to a shoplifting in progress at the Walmart in the 10500 block of West Colonial Drive. The suspect vehicle fled the scene, prompting officers to pursue.
While fleeing from law enforcement and after fleeing the scene of the crime, the suspect’s vehicle struck an officer’s patrol car in a hospital parking lot and still did not stop. The suspect then entered the hospital parking lot by driving over bushes and across multiple lanes of oncoming traffic during rush hour.
The pursuit ended when the vehicle could go no further, near Old Winter Garden Road and Ohio Avenue. Officers arrived at the location and detained the driver. During the incident, one officer perceived a threat, believing he saw a gun in the hand of the vehicle’s occupant, and fired a single gunshot at the 16-year-old passenger seated in the vehicle, injuring him.
The injured individual has since fully recovered thanks in part to emergency aid rendered by emergency services personnel, including law enforcement on scene.
The state attorney’s use of force policy requires all cases where law enforcement officers use deadly force to be presented to a grand jury to determine whether criminal charges are appropriate or not.
The grand jury was presented all relevant evidence along with expert testimony in the Central Florida case and returned a no true bill.
The use of force policy allows the grand jury to make a statement regarding policies, procedures and recommendations related to the use of force. The grand jury declined to issue a presentment on the case and chose not to issue a statement on the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
The state attorney’s office has now closed the use of force case.
