ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Police Department SWAT team on Saturday morning shot and killed a 28-year-old gunman who hours earlier had fired upon two police officers, critically injuring them before they were taken to a hospital where they are expected to fully recover, Chief Eric Smith said at an afternoon press conference.
The suspect, Daton Viel, barricaded himself inside a hotel room in the Holiday Inn & Suites near International Drive following a police chase that started after he shot the officers around 11 p.m. Friday in downtown Orlando, Smith said.
The SWAT Team arrived around 6 a.m. and immediately evacuated the hotel.
Just before 9 a.m., Viel “shot several times” at SWAT team officers, Smith said. They returned fire, fatally striking Viel, who was pronounced dead.
Viel was found at the hotel following a large manhunt that involved dozens of law enforcement officers and their respective agencies.
The incident began around 11 p.m., when Viel shot the officers who were investigating a vehicle near Garland Avenue and Washington Street that was linked to a homicide in Miami, Smith said.
The officers were critically wounded and rushed to Orlando Regional Medical Center. They are both expected to fully recover from their injuries, said Michael Cheatham, the chief surgical officer at Orlando Regional Medical Center, at a press conference. OPD is not releasing the officers’ names, citing Marsy’s Law, a state constitutional amendment that protects the privacy rights of crime victims.
After wounding the officers, Viel carjacked another vehicle, leading to a chase that took officers into Apopka, the chief said. It’s unclear how Viel got from Apopka to the hotel where he was later found.
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