Who is Virgilio Salgado? Man with 'cop killer' tattooed on chest arrested for shooting Florida officer
WEST MIAMI-DADE, FLORIDA: A Florida man with the phrase "cop killer" tattooed across his chest is accused of firing at a police officer who was trying to pull him over before speeding away near Northwest 7th Avenue and 2nd Street early on Saturday. Virgilio Salgado, 28, is accused of firing at a Florida City Police Department officer who had attempted a traffic stop.
Detectives claimed that on Saturday night, they successfully apprehended Virgilio Salgado. The 28-year-old appeared before a Miami-Dade Circuit judge on Sunday afternoon, as per WSVN.
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Officer escapes unharmed
Virgilio, as per the reports, was driving the same Nissan Titan pickup truck when he was apprehended at the time he was involved in the shooting. Salgado sped off, according to investigators. Fortunately, the officer escaped unharmed. However, the tire of the police vehicle was struck.
How was Virgilio Salgado arrested?
Detectives arrived at the scene soon after the shooting to begin gathering evidence and shell casings that had been left behind. Using footage from the officer's body camera technology, detectives claimed they were able to positively identify Salgado. The arrest was made in Miami-Dade County, as per the report.
Salgado faces a list of charges, including aggravated assault with a firearm on a law enforcement officer, use of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and driving with a suspended license.
He had posted his $21,000 bond as of Sunday night, but was still incarcerated at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Salgado will continue to be under house arrest after his release, the outlet reported.
Salgado faces a 5 to 15 years jail term if convicted
People found guilty of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer in the state could spend three to 15 years in prison, according to the Florida law firm Lasnetski Gihon, noted Newsweek. It adds, "If you are convicted at trial or if you plead straight up to a judge to Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer, Firefighter, etc, the judge must sentence you to the minimum mandatory sentence, at a minimum."
Moreover, "The judge cannot go below that minimum mandatory sentence. The prosecutor is the only person that can go below the minimum mandatory." There are circumstances where an attorney can negotiate a sentence below the minimum mandatory with the prosecutor, according to the legal firm.
