POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A Haines City Police Officer is recovering after being shot in the leg during a traffic stop Sunday evening.
According to police, Officer Dwight Rogers pulled over Luis Alfonso Alicea Feliciano, 32, of Winter Haven around 8:39 pm Sunday, for driving over the speed limit and passing other drivers erratically.
Investigators say Officer Rogers asked Feliciano for his driver’s license and registration and he refused.
Officer Rogers told Feliciano that if he did not produce the identification he would be arrested.
The driver still refused and Officer Rogers removed him from his vehicle. Because the BMW’s plate showed a “seize tag order” from the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles, Rogers informed the driver that the car would have to be towed.
The driver asked Officer Rogers if he could call his girlfriend to come and retrieve some groceries from his car and Officer Rogers agreed.
A short time later the girlfriend, Daribel Torres-Orozco, 30, and her brother, David Antonio Torres-Orozco,26, arrived on the scene in a white Kia sedan.
The girlfriend and her brother became aggressive toward the officers and officers asked them to leave the scene as they were interfering with the investigation.
They refused that request multiple times and officers attempted to place David Torres-Orozco that he was under arrest.
While Officer Rogers attempted to handcuff him, Torres-Orozco began fighting the officer. During the struggle, the suspect was able to reach into Rogers’ holster and pull the trigger, shooting the officer in the right leg.
Other officers continued to fight with the suspect and ultimately used a taser to subdue and handcuff him.
Officer Rogers was airlifted to Lakeland Regional Hospital where he is recovering.
In the news: Florida Gov. DeSantis’ Anti-Woke Messaging Is Catching On Beyond Florida’s State Line
Haines City Interim Police Chief Loyd Stewart said “I am told our officers on the street have experienced an increase in people who believe their own opinion of the law is more important than what an officer is directing them to do. On the side of the road is not the place to adjudicate guilt or innocence. You have an obligation to follow lawful orders. Now, we don’t mind when people ask us questions and we will try to answer them; but in the end, courts, judges and juries decide if our actions follow the law.”
David Torres-Orozco was charged with:
- Resisting an Officer with Violence
- Aggravated Battery on a a Law Enforcement Officer
- Attempted Felony Murder with a weapon
- Resisting an officer w/o violence
- Using a firearm during a felony offense
- Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer
Daribel Torres-Orzco was charged with:
- Two counts of resisting an officer without violence
Luis Alfonso Alicea-Feliciano was charged with:
- One count of resisting or obstructing an officer without violence
Visit Tampafp.com for Politics, Tampa Area Local News, Sports, and National Headlines. Support journalism by clicking here to our GiveSendGo or sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here.
Android Users, Click Here To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook Here Or Twitter Here.
Copyright 2022 The Free Press, LLC, tampafp.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.