ORLANDO, Fla. – New video released Friday by the Orlando Police Department shows an officer opening fire on a speeding driver who nearly hit people and drove toward officers last month in downtown.
Cliff Presley Garcia Francois, 29, was arrested on Oct. 27.
According to Orlando police, bike units responded around 11 p.m. to reports of a suspicious vehicle at 55 West garage. Francois sped out of the garage and traveled “recklessly” on Pine Street before running a red light at Orange Avenue, the Orlando Police Department said.
“Oh, my God,” one officer is heard in the video when the vehicle left the garage.
Surveillance video shows the vehicle drive through the intersection at Orange Avenue as a few officers run after it.
He struck a vehicle near Court Avenue, continued driving toward Magnolia Avenue and drove at officers, police said. One of the officers opened fire before the vehicle struck the back of a patrol car, a release said.
Video shows an officer fire multiple times toward the vehicle as it drove away.
Francois was not hit by the gunfire, and no officers were inside the patrol car, Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said.
“There were people who were moving out of the way when they saw the vehicle coming,” Smith said during a news conference when asked about whether Francois almost hit pedestrians. “... People started running to get out of the way.”
Francois faces multiple charges, including leaving the scene of a crash, reckless driving and resisting an officer without violence.
Police said he had previously been arrested 11 times.
The incident happened days before a 17-year-old opened fire during Halloween night in downtown Orlando, striking nine people, two of whom died.
Jaylen Edgar was formally indicted for two counts of first-degree murder, seven counts of attempted first-degree murder, one count of possession of a firearm by a minor and a count of culpable negligence with personal injury, the State Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
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