Man with ‘Cop Killer’ tattoo allegedly shot Florida officer

A Florida man with the words “cop killer” tattooed on his chest allegedly shot a police officer trying to arrest him before speeding off.

Virgilio Salgado, 28, allegedly opened fire on a Florida City Police Department officer near Northwest 7th Avenue and 2nd Street early Saturday morning, Fox affiliate WSVN reported, citing police .

The officer had tried to stop him during an attempted traffic check.

The network reported that the officer was not injured in the shooting, although a tire from the police vehicle was struck, and Salgado reportedly fled. NBC 6 reported that Salgado allegedly fled the scene in a black Nissan Titan pickup truck.

After the shooting, detectives arrived at the scene and began collecting evidence and casings that had been left in the area.

Salgado was later arrested in Miami Dade County and was allegedly driving the same pickup truck that was present during the shooting.

Detectives identified Salgado through the officer’s body camera footage and through other technology.

Newsweek contacted the Florida City Police Department for comment.

According to Gun Violence Archive, a database that collects information on shootings across the United States, there have been 234 shootings in Florida since Jan. 1 this year.

Salgado, who the WSVN says has the words “Cop Killer” tattooed on his chest, was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm against a law enforcement officer, use of a weapon fire while committing a crime and driving with a suspended licence.

He appeared before a judge on Sunday and is being held at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Facility on $21,000 bond. When Salgado is released, he will remain under house arrest.

According to the Florida-based law firm Lasnetski Gihon law, those convicted of aggravated assault on a state law enforcement officer face between three and 15 years in prison.

The law firm added: “If you are found guilty at trial or are pleading directly with a judge for aggravated assault against a law enforcement officer, firefighter, etc., the judge must sentence you to the minimum mandatory sentence, at the very least.

“The judge cannot go below this mandatory minimum sentence. The prosecutor is the only person who can go below the mandatory minimum sentence.”

There are circumstances where a lawyer can negotiate a sentence below the mandatory minimum with the prosecutor, according to the law firm.