Sandy MaloneFlorida City, FL – Police arrested a suspect with the words “Cop Killer” tattooed across his chest after he opened fire on a Florida City police officer early Saturday morning during a traffic stop.
Police said the incident occurred in the early morning hours of Feb. 4 when the officer tried to pull over a car near Northwest Seventh Avenue and Second Street, WSVN reported.
“I heard screaming, fighting and then, like 10 minutes later, I heard gunshots,” a witness who lives nearby the scene told reporters.
Investigators said the gunman sped away after shooting at the Florida city officer, WSVN reported.
The police department said the officer was not wounded, but there was damage to his patrol vehicle including a tire that had been shot, WPLG reported.
Investigators were on the scene collecting evidence and shell casings through daybreak, WSVN reported.
The shooting was captured on the officer’s bodycam video and detectives were able to identify the suspect through that footage, as well as using other technology.
Police arrested 28-year-old Virgilio Salgado on Sunday night without incident, WSVN reported.
He has a tattoo that reads “cop killer” across his chest, WPLG reported.
Investigators said that when Salgado was arrested, he was driving the same vehicle that the suspect was driving when he opened fire on the law enforcement officer, WSVN reported.
Neighbors were shaken up by the incident.
“If he’s bold enough to do that, he’d be bold enough to do it to somebody else, a random person, not even a cop,” a resident of the block told WSVN.
Salgado was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center and charged with aggravated assault with a firearm on a law enforcement officer, use of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and driving with a suspended license.
He went before a judge on Sunday and posted a $21,000 bond, WSVN reported.
The judge ordered that Salgado will remain on house arrest when he is released from jail on Monday.
Holly Matkin
