Jan 2, 2009 6:10 pm US/Eastern
Dade Officer Shoots Driver During Traffic Stop
Police Report Indicates The Officer Was Struck By A Vehicle And Discharged His Firearm
SOUTH MIAMI (CBS4) ―
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After coming to a stop, a driver then sped into a police officer at the intersection of SW 62nd Avenue and 70th Street.
CBS
A Miami-Dade police officer shot and injured a man who tried to run him over with a vehicle late Thursday evening in South Miami, according to police.
24-year-old Dario Ovejero was charged early Friday with attempted first-degree murder on an officer.
The police department reported that the Officer Jerry Davenport attempted to pull over Ovejero for a traffic stop in the 6400 Block SW 70 Street in South Miami. Our news partners at the Miami Herald say Davenport suspected Ovejero was driving under the influence.
According to the report, Ovejero initially refused, but pulled over later. When Officer Davenport got out of his patrol car, Ovejero reportedly accelerated and hit the Davenport before taking off again. Police say the officer had no choice but to fire.
"The officer, again, attempting to stop the vehicle, gave verbal commands," said Detective Aida Fina-Milian of the Miami-Dade Police Department. "The vehicle did not stop and did come forward, accelerating, striking the officer and the officer discharged his weapon."
"What I heard was kind of rapid-fire. Ta, ta, ta," described Juan Estefan, who lives nearby. He was arriving at home around 11:15 Thursday night. The driver attempted to flee, but crashed his car a short distance down the road, after hitting and uprooting a tree in the median, scattering debris everywhere.
Ovejero was airlifted to Ryder Trauma Center where he is in stable condition. He has a criminal record for assault and battery, obstruction of justice, filing a false police report, possession of marijuana and having an open container of alcohol. He'll be charged with attempted first-degree murder of an officer; the statutes call for a minimum mandatory term of 15 years if convicted.
A passenger in the vehicle who was not injured was also taken into custody.
Officer Davenport was taken to South Miami Hospital for treatment of a minor leg injury. He has been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation, which is standard policy.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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