Gunman who shot two OPD officers previously fled UCF Police: report
Daton Viel, the 28-year-old gunman who shot and critically injured two Orlando Police Officers on Friday night, previously fled from police at the University of Central Florida, ClickOrlando.com reported.
The WKMG-TV website report said two UCF Police Officers detected Viel’s stolen license plate on the UCF Campus on June 30 after an arrest warrant was issued for Viel for violating his probation on a different matter.
The UCF Police Officers stopped Viel, and after discovering his active arrest warrant, asked him to step out of his vehicle to arrest him. He then took off running across Research Parkway, and the officers were unable to detain him with a taser, according to the report.
Viel then jumped back into his car and fled the scene at a high rate of speed. UCF PD searched the area but were unable to find Viel or his car, ClickOrlando.com reported.
This comes just weeks before Viel shot and critically injured two Orlando Police Department Officers on Friday night on Garland Avenue and Washington Street in downtown Orlando. OPD said the officers were investigating his car for being linked to a homicide in Miami.
The two officers were rushed to Orlando Regional Medical Center where they are expected to fully recover, the Orlando Sentinel previously reported.
OPD began a large manhunt that ended Saturday morning at the Holiday Inn & Suites at 5916 Caravan Court, where Viel barricaded himself in one of the rooms, according to OPD.
The SWAT team fatally shot Viel after he fired several shots at OPD from the hotel room near Universal Orlando Resort, according to OPD.
Viel has a long list of arrests in Orange County since 2016 including felony charges for trespassing, robbery, burglary and sexual battery of a minor, according to FDLE records.
