Cocoa police officer shoots gunman fleeing traffic stop, officials say

Officer uninjured; Dana King arrested

COCOA, Fla. – A Cocoa police officer shot and wounded a convicted felon who ran from a traffic stop late Sunday, authorities said.

The traffic stop was initiated at 11:47 p.m. in the 300 block of Pineda Street.

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Cocoa police said the officer attempted to stop a car, but the driver fled the car and ran into a backyard.

The officer ordered the man, identified by police as Dana King, 44, to stop, but he did not comply, officials said.

During a foot pursuit, police said King had a gun and the officer fired a shot at him, striking King in the leg, according to the arrest report. A Sig Sauer handgun was found nearby, according to the report. Police also later released a photo of the weapon.

The handgun recovered near where a man was shot in the leg by Cocoa police. (Image: Cocoa police)

King was detained and taken to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

King faces several felony charges, including possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and possession of cocaine, according to the police report.

The officer, who was not injured, will be placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure in officer-involved shootings.

Police said King is a convicted felon with a Florida Department of Corrections history, mostly for drug convictions, dating back to 1994. 

 


About the Author:

Daniel started with WKMG-TV in 2000 and became the digital content manager in 2009. When he's not working on ClickOrlando.com, Daniel likes to head to the beach or find a sporting event nearby.

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