ORLANDO, Fla. — Speaking to reporters Monday, State Attorney Monique Worrell addressed the criminal history of a man killed in a shootout with Orlando police that left two officers injured.

At the time of his death, 28-year-old Daton S. Viel had three outstanding warrants for his arrest — two in Florida, one in Georgia.

Viel came onto the radar of police in Orlando Friday night, when he was spotted next to a car connected to a murder in Miami that South Florida police had bean searching for.

In that case, investigators say a man donning a ski mask shot and killed Michael Williams Jr. in Miami on July 10, and surveillance footage led police to identify the Ford Fusion located near Viel Friday in the area of East Washington Street and North Garland Avenue.

“The person was outside the vehicle, and the car was basically wanted (in connection to) a homicide case out of Miami and then the shooting occurred,” said Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith.

When approached by officers, investigators say Viel shot them, carjacked someone and fled the area. The stolen vehicle was reportedly found in Apopka near a property where records show Viel once lived.

Officers said they were still investigating how he got there, but Viel was next approached by police at a Holiday Inn off Caravan Court, near Universal Orlando resort.

Orlando Police's SWAT team arrived at 6 a.m. and evacuated the hotel before Viel reportedly started shooting. SWAT officers returned fire and Viel was killed at the scene.

Considering his criminal history and the outstanding warrants issued for his arrest, Worrell said Monday she wanted to explain why he was on the street Friday, instead of behind bars.

"There have been a lot of questions regarding, why was Mr. Viel out on the street so that this tragic event that occurred on Saturday could take place," she said. "And I want to take this as an opportunity to clear up some misinformation that has been spread ... and use this as an opportunity to educate the community a little bit on the criminal process and what happens when someone is arrested."

She pointed out that while Viel was out on bond at the time of the shooting, it was a $125,000 bond that a judge issued on April 14. Worrell said whether or not an individual is kept in jail while their case moves forward is ultimately the discretion of the presiding judge.

That his bond was set at an "unusually high" $125,000, is evidence that the judge in the case had taken his danger to the public seriously, Worrell said.

And as for the outstanding warrants, she said that officers would have taken him into custody on all three if they had been able to apprehend him, she said.

Ultimately, though, she said that beyond the what-ifs and if-I-had-onlys, swirling around the case, there was only one person responsible for what happened.

"Now I've said many times before it's really important to understand that when incidents like this happen, community wants answers," she said. "And it is natural to want to find out who's at fault for why this incident took place. But it is important to understand that the only individual who can be blamed for incidents like these is the individual who took those actions. The perpetrator of theses horrific events, that's the person to blame."

How the bond amount is determined

Orlando trial attorney Jonathan Rose said all judges, including those in Orange County, use a schedule that helps them determine what bail should be set in their area. 

Rose has been trying criminal cases for more than 20 years and has had to deal directly with bail bonds with clients over the years.

He says it’s an imperfect system, but it works.

Veil bonded out of jail in April and was awaiting trial for sexual battery of a young girl when the shooting occurred Saturday. 

Rose says the bail was set, as all bail is set, by a judge who goes by a recommended bond schedule, which varies from county to county. 

“The vast majority of judges are going to go by that bond schedule. It’s possible a judge could set that bond lower than that. They can set a bond higher than that. But the majority of times the judge defers to what the bond schedule bond is,” Rose said.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill in May, petitioning the state supreme court to establish a uniform bond schedule.

Officers recovering

Two Orlando police officers who were critically injured in a downtown shooting late Friday are "getting stronger. They're getting better,"  Smith said Monday during a news conference.

After being shot, they were rushed to a nearby hospital where they were listed in critical condition — but they are recovering, Smith said.

Their road to recovery will be a long one, he said.

Hundreds of officers and deputies had visited, and were visiting the hospital to support the officers who were shot, Smith said.

"Orlando (Health Regional) Medical Center treated us like family," he said.

Smith also said that he has reviewed body cam video of the shooting, which he called "horrifying."

Arrests still could be coming in the case, Smith said.

Smith said multiple agencies participated in the ongoing investigation, and he also thanked the residents of Orlando for their support.

"We want to thank the community, because as always, we get a lot of calls," he said. "There were people right there that saw this happen and said, 'Hey, that person just shot an officer, you know, there he goes,' and that goes a long way, because a lot of communities people don’t do that, people don’t care. Our community cares.”

After visiting the officers and their families Saturday morning, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer praised medical personnel who were caring for them.

"I am thankful for doctors and nurses at Orlando Health and all of those who quickly responded and are providing the essential care these officers need during this critical time," he said in a statement. "My thoughts and prayers are with those courageous officers, their families and our entire Orlando Police Department."

The names of the officers have not been released. Smith said their identities will remain protected under Marsy's Law.