Father outraged over suspect who removed GPS monitor weeks before shooting Orlando police officers
Man who shot officers removed ankle monitor
The man who shot two Orlando police officers was wearing an ankle monitor as recently as June, but records show he broke it off. An officer tried finding Daton Viel, but he never turned up, until he was stopped near the University of Central Florida where officers tried catching him.
ORLANDO, Fla. - The man who shot two Orlando police officers was wearing an ankle monitor as recently as June, but records show he broke it off.
An officer tried finding Daton Viel, but he never turned up, until he was stopped near the University of Central Florida where officers tried catching him. Viel is seen running away from officers in a body camera video.
According to court records he was supposed to be wearing a GPS ankle monitor, but he broke it off back in June. And drove away from this Orlando home, where he was staying. No one answered the door. Records state Viel’s aunt told a deputy, "She’s not sure as to why the subject cut off his electronic monitoring equipment, believes it could have been due to life stressors that he was experiencing."
Police said Viel later shot two OPD officers over the weekend.
"It’s bringing back bad memories because that’s exactly what happened to our son in 2012."
RELATED: 'Bothers me': Why was Orlando shooting suspect, Daton Viel, out on bond?
Rafael Zaldivar said Bessman Okafor was convicted of murdering his son, Alex, after cutting off his GPS ankle monitor. Orange County got rid of the program after that.
"Who issued that ankle monitor?" he asked. "It appears he was on electronic monitoring relative to an arson and aggravated assault case out of Georgia."
Defense Attorney Whitney Boan said the GPS monitoring system isn’t used in Orange County. However, a judge can decide to issue one in court. However, in this case, she said it was Georgia authorities who made him wear one. She believes Viel should have stayed in jail after being arrested for a sexual assault of a minor.
'Bothers me': Why was Daton Viel out on bond?
Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said reports that Dayton Viel, the man accused of shooting two Orlando police officers and who was later shot and killed by police, was out on bond after being accused of sexually battering a young girl "bothers me." He also provided an update on the two officers, saying they're getting better each day, and that their hospital rooms are filled with cards and well-wishes from the community.
"There is a legal mechanism to do that even if someone is entitled to bond," Boan said.
Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell said Viel was legally entitled to bond. Boan said prosecutors could have kept him locked up.
"This person’s already on probation for violent charges out of state. Now he’s picking up a sexual battery charge on a minor in Florida," Boan said. "We’re concerned there’s no conditions of release that could protect the community from this person."
Zaldivar hopes all agencies put an end to using GPS ankle bracelets. "I was very angry," he added.
Anyone found guilty of tampering with an ankle monitor can get up to 5 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
A Go Fund Me account has been set up for the Orlando police officers who continue to receive care at Orlando Health.