By David Ovalle and Jose Pagliery
Miami Herald
MIAMI, Fla. — A Miami-Dade officer shot and wounded a man who tried to run him over during a traffic stop in South Miami late Thursday night, police said.
Dario Ovejero, 24, was charged early Friday with attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer.
He is being held at Jackson Memorial Hospital’s jail ward.
A unnamed passenger in Ovejero’s Lexus was not injured. He was not charged in the incident. The officer, Jerry Davenport, 52, a DUI specialist, was released from South Miami Hospital after being treatef for a minor leg injury.
Davenport was driving a marked green-and-white patrol car. He turned on his lights and sirens to try and stop Ovejero’s black 2006 Lexus about 11:15 p.m., police said.
Suspected of driving drunk, Ovejero was traveling at a “high rate of speed,” an arrest report said.
Ovejero kept driving, refusing to stop and then making a U-turn at Southwest 70th Street and 64th Avenue, police said.
Davenport blocked the road with his patrol car, got out and “gave several loud commands” to stop. The Lexus instead accelerated, swiping the officer in the left leg.
“Fearing for his life,” Davenport fired his gun and hit Ovejero, who crashed the car into a tree. A fire-rescue helicopter later whisked him to Ryder Trauma Center.
Ovejero has been arrested previously on alcohol and drugs charges.
In 2002, he was charged with having an open alcohol container in a vehicle. He was ordered to pay $176. He never paid, and the debt was sent to a collection agency.
Two years later, Ovejero was arrested for assault and battery, obstruction of justice and filing a false police report, charges that were later dropped.
In 2005, Ovejero was arrested for possession of marijuana. A judge ordered him into rehab.
Copyright 2009 Miami Herald