A woman killed in an officer-involved shooting in Orlando overnight was shot by a stray bullet fired by one of the officers during a confrontation with a gunman. That's according to Orlando Police Chief John Mina during a news conference Tuesday.
The shooting happened around 12:45 a.m. Tuesday outside Vixen Bar, 118 S. Orange Ave., when officers responded to a man with a gun.
Officers Eduardo Sanguino, Jeff Angel and Lt. Frank Nunez arrived to find a man matching the description of a reported armed suspect.
Witnesses said the suspect, Kody Roach, was a regular at the bar. A man said Roach tried to walk inside the bar with his firearm.
911 calls began to come into dispatchers of a man with a gun outside the nightclub in downtown Orlando.
“He’s, like, banging on the door with a gun!” said one caller.
A few minutes later another caller who identified himself as a Vixen employee said Roach had been given them trouble earlier.
“There’s a guy we kicked out of our bar because he’s too drunk and now he’s started waving his handgun around,” the caller said.
The dispatcher asked if the man actually fired the gun, to which the caller said, “no, but he set it on the bar top and he’s wielded it many times, a couple times and we had to throw him out. I had to run inside and lock my door before he did something stupid."
Police said there was then a confrontation between the suspect and officers after they arrived and shots were fired.
Maria Godinez, 22, was hit by a stray bullet from Officer Sanguino. She later died at Orlando Regional Medical Center.
Witnesses said they heard as many as a half-dozen shots fired at the scene.
"When officers respond to such a call, of course, they are using caution, their training and experience," said Sgt. Lovetta Quinn-Henry. "So, tonight was one of those nights where it wasn't as busy as it usually is over the weekend."
Roach was transported to ORMC in critical condition.
"One of the most challenging parts of our job is when criminal activity affects innocent bystanders," Mina said. "One of our police lieutenants, Frank Nunez, also suffered a gunshot wound to his leg. He was treated at ORMC and is currently resting at home. Our thoughts and prayers are with him as well."
Several blocks on South Orange Avenue and Pine Street were blocked for more than nine hours as police investigated the shooting.
The officers involved are on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure in an officer-involved shooting.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating.