ORLANDO, Fla. – An Orlando police officer opened fire Sunday night after a speeding driver nearly hit people and drove toward officers in downtown, according to the police chief.
Cliff Presley Garcia Francois, 29, was arrested.
According to 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 and ran a red light at Orange Avenue, the Orlando Police Department said.
He struck a vehicle near Court Avenue, continued driving toward Magnolia Avenue and drove toward officers, police said. One of the officers opened fire before the vehicle struck the back of a patrol car, a release said.
Francois was not hit by the gunfire, and no officers were inside the patrol car, Chief Eric Smith said.
“There were people who were moving out of the way when they saw the vehicle coming,” Smith said when asked about whether Francois almost hit pedestrians. “... People started running to get out of the way.”
Smith said the patrol cars were set up to help prevent people from driving through the intersections and it “definitely slowed him down.”
Francois continued driving on Magnolia Avenue before crashing into a light pole near Livingston Street. He then jumped out of the vehicle and ran from officers before ultimately being arrested, according to police.
“Between Pine and Court and Pine and Magnolia, there were probably about 30-40 people in the street and they started moving away once they saw the impact of the first vehicle,” Smith said.
Police said Francois had previously been arrested 11 times.
The officer who shot at Francois was uninjured and will be on paid administrative leave per protocol. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will conduct a review of the shooting.
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