Javier Ovando
Encyclopedia
Javier Francisco Ovando is a Honduran
man who became a central figure in the LAPD
Rampart Scandal
when he was shot and framed by corrupt Rampart officers Rafael Pérez
and Nino Durden
. Ovando is an immigrant and a former member of the powerful 18th Street Gang
. He is the recipient of the largest police misconduct settlement in Los Angeles
history.
Officers Durden and Pérez entered then 19-year old Ovando's apartment on 12 October 1996, and shot him, leaving him paralyzed. According to their testimony later, they planted a gun on him and reported that the unarmed Ovando had fired on them first. Ovando, paralyzed from the waist down, was sentenced to 23 years in prison
based on the officers' testimony.
overturning Ovando's conviction. Ovando had spent two-and-a-half years incarcerated.
On 21 November 2000, Ovando received a $
15 million settlement, the largest police misconduct settlement in Los Angeles
history.
for possession and trafficking of drugs. A plea of not guilty was entered.
In 2001, Ovando pleaded guilty to drug trafficking after 50 grams of cocaine
and 37 grams of marijuana were found in his Cadillac Escalade
and a handgun was found beneath the hood.
On June 29, 2008, Ovando was arrested after allegedly leading police on an hour long chase that reached speeds of up to 90 mph on local streets and freeways. It is claimed that at one point Ovando tried to spit on an officer and grabbed one of the officer's fingers. He was arrested on suspicion of felony evading arrest, reckless driving and assault on a peace officer. He was taken into custody but later was released after posting bail.
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
man who became a central figure in the LAPD
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
Rampart Scandal
Rampart Scandal
The Rampart scandal refers to widespread corruption in the Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums anti-gang unit of the Los Angeles Police Department Rampart Division in the late 1990s. More than 70 police officers in the CRASH unit were implicated in misconduct, making it one of the most...
when he was shot and framed by corrupt Rampart officers Rafael Pérez
Rafael Pérez (police officer)
Rafael Antonio "Ray" Pérez , is a former Los Angeles Police Department C.R.A.S.H officer and the central figure in the LAPD Rampart Scandal. He was involved in the coverup of a $722,000 bank robbery, shot and framed Javier Ovando, and stole and resold at least $800,000 of cocaine from LAPD...
and Nino Durden
Nino Durden
Gino Floyd "Nino" Durden , was a police officer in the elite Los Angeles Police Department Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums unit implicated in the LAPD Rampart scandal. Durden, along with Officer Rafael Pérez, was involved in the shooting and framing of gang member Javier Ovando...
. Ovando is an immigrant and a former member of the powerful 18th Street Gang
18th Street gang
18th Street gang is considered to be the largest transnational criminal gang in Los Angeles, California. It is estimated that there are thousands of members in Los Angeles County alone...
. He is the recipient of the largest police misconduct settlement in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
history.
Officers Durden and Pérez entered then 19-year old Ovando's apartment on 12 October 1996, and shot him, leaving him paralyzed. According to their testimony later, they planted a gun on him and reported that the unarmed Ovando had fired on them first. Ovando, paralyzed from the waist down, was sentenced to 23 years in prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
based on the officers' testimony.
Release and settlement
On 16 September 1999, Ovando was released from prison after Perez recanted his earlier testimony. The District Attorney's office filed a writ of habeas corpusHabeas corpus
is a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
overturning Ovando's conviction. Ovando had spent two-and-a-half years incarcerated.
On 21 November 2000, Ovando received a $
Dollar sign
The dollar or peso sign is a symbol primarily used to indicate the various peso and dollar units of currency around the world.- Origin :...
15 million settlement, the largest police misconduct settlement in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
history.
Further arrests
Four months after his settlement, Ovando was arrested and charged in NevadaNevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
for possession and trafficking of drugs. A plea of not guilty was entered.
In 2001, Ovando pleaded guilty to drug trafficking after 50 grams of cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
and 37 grams of marijuana were found in his Cadillac Escalade
Cadillac Escalade
The Cadillac Escalade is a full-size luxury sport utility vehicle sold by the General Motors luxury brand, Cadillac. It was the division's first major entry into the popular SUV market. The Escalade was introduced for the 1999 model year in response to German and Japanese competitors and to Ford's...
and a handgun was found beneath the hood.
On June 29, 2008, Ovando was arrested after allegedly leading police on an hour long chase that reached speeds of up to 90 mph on local streets and freeways. It is claimed that at one point Ovando tried to spit on an officer and grabbed one of the officer's fingers. He was arrested on suspicion of felony evading arrest, reckless driving and assault on a peace officer. He was taken into custody but later was released after posting bail.