Watch Dramatic Shootout Between Fla. Police, Driver During Stop

By Monivette Cordeiro

Source Orlando Sentinel

A driver shot at two Orlando police officers who tried to conduct a traffic stop Wednesday, May 18, afternoon, prompting the officers to fire back at the man, OPD Chief Orlando Rolón said.

The driver, identified Thursday, May 19, as 28-year-old Carlos Delano Dafill Roberts Jr., was wounded by gunfire, the chief said. The officers, who were not injured in the shooting, will be placed on paid administrative leave.

Roberts was in stable condition as of Thursday, May 19, OPD said. (Editor's note: Roberts died of his injuries on June 2.)

He faces charges of fleeing and attempting to elude a law enforcement officer with lights and sirens activated, attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer with a firearm and shooting into an occupied vehicle.

Rolón said the two officers were driving in an unmarked vehicle traveling northbound on Mercy Drive when a vehicle drove past them at a high rate of speed in a no-passing zone.

Officers turned the vehicle’s warning lights on and attempted to stop the driver.

Before the officers could get out of their vehicle, Roberts got out and shot at them, Rolón said. The officers managed to leave their vehicle and returned fire.

“All our assumptions are that [he] definitely should have known that it was a police car when [he] opened fire on the officers,” Rolón said.

Roberts then went back to his car, sped away and crashed, the chief said. The officers caught up to Roberts and began to render aid before he was taken to the hospital.

“Officers, thankfully, were able to get out of the car, return fire and were not hurt,” Rolón said.

Rolón said the officers were wearing body cameras. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting, which will then be turned over to the Orange-Osceola State Attorney’s Office for review.

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