UPDATE: November 8, 3: 15 pm: The deputy involved in the shooting of Johnny M. Veloz is Deputy Frank Bonetti, a six year veteran with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Prior to this he worked with NYC as a Transit/Police officer for 17 years. Deputy Bonetti has been placed on administrative reassignment for one week as per procedure.
*************************************************
An Orange County Sheriff’s deputy shot and killed the driver of a pickup after initiating a traffic stop on Sixth Street and Fourth Avenue in Bithlo. The deceased is, Johnny M. Veloz, 28 years.
A statement from the Sheriff’s Office said that one of their deputies initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle with three occupants for possessing a tag not assigned to a pick-up on Sunday around 10:17 am on Sixth Street and Fourth Avenue in Bithlo.
The driver of the pick up, Johnny Morales Veloz, 28, who did not have a drivers license was being arrested for the charge when he turned violent on the deputy and punched him in the face and attempted to flee. The deputy gave chase and used his taser in an effort to subdue Veloz. A scuffle ensued between the deputy and Veloz during which the latter was able to wrestle the taser from the deputy and use it on him. The deputy opened fire striking Veloz in the stomach in an effort to end the violent encounter.
Veloz was transported by Orange County Fire Rescue to the Orando Regional Medical Center and was pronounced dead around 12:50 pm.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting incident. Also, the OSCO Shooting Team is also conducting a concurrent investigation.
The name of the deputy has not been released.
The shooting on Sunday is the fourth by Deputies in eight days, with two suspects killed.
Last Friday, November 5th, a 26-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Steve Cook, shot and killed Gibran Flores Remigio, 25 years, during a grand theft investigation at a 7-Eleven at 12298 south Apopka Vineland Road, after Flores Remigio stabbed Deputy Cook in the neck several times.
And on Saturday, October 30th, in two separate shooting incidents, Deputy Sheriffs Tom Lass and Mark Watkins opened fire when Brian L. Lawson, 36, who had burglarized a home on 1048 Fairbanks Road, attempted to flee by deliberately ramming a squad car. Later on Saturday evening, Deputy Brian Hummel shot at Bruce L. Smith, 21, who dragged the Deputy several feet between the door and door frame and speed away, after Deputy Hummel initiated a traffic stop.
Both Lawson and Smith suffered minor injuries.
