ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — An Orange County grand jury cleared an Ocoee police officer of any criminal wrongdoing in a February 2024 shooting.
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On Feb. 15, Ocoee Police Department officers responded to reports of two shoplifters at the Ocoee Wal-Mart, located at 10500 W. Colonial Drive.
The suspect, later identified as Gregorio Mendoza Moreno, fled the scene in a green pickup, police said.
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A short time later, officers spotted the vehicle in a parking lot area where the suspects crashed into a police officer’s vehicle.
After the crash, Moreno drove through bushes and crossed multiple lanes of oncoming traffic during rush hour before being able to go no further near Old Winter Garden Road and Ohio Avenue.
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According to police, during the incident, while the driver was being detained, one officer perceived a threat, believing he saw a gun in the hand of the vehicle’s occupant and fired a single gunshot at the 16-year-old passenger, injuring him.
Officers immediately began rendering aid to the passenger.
The driver suffered minor injuries. Both the driver and the passenger were transported to the hospital.
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The juvenile has since fully recovered from his injuries.
The grand jury declined to issue a presentment on the case and chose not to issue a statement on the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
The state attorney’s office has now closed the use of force case.
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