Javier Francisco Ovando (born 1977) 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 Gino Floyd "Nino" Durden (born May 5, 1963) is a former American police officer in the Los Angeles Police Department Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums (CRASH) unit implicated in the LAPD Rampart scandal. Durden, along with Officer Ra ...

. Ovando is an immigrant to the United States and a former member of the powerful

18th Street gang The 18th Street Gang, also known as , , , or simply in North America, is a multi-ethnic (largely Central American and Culture of Mexico, Mexican) street gang in Los Angeles. It is one of the largest street gangs in Los Angeles, with around 30 ...

. He is the recipient of the largest

police misconduct Police misconduct is inappropriate conduct and illegal actions taken by police officers in connection with their official duties. Types of misconduct include among others: sexual offences, false confession, coerced false confession, intimidation, ...

settlement in Los Angeles history. Officers Durden and Pérez entered then 19-year-old Ovando's apartment on October 12, 1996, and shot him, leaving him paralyzed. According to the officers' 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.

Release and settlement

On September 16, 1999, Ovando was released from prison after Perez recanted his earlier testimony. The District Attorney's office filed a writ of

habeas corpus ''Habeas corpus'' (; from Medieval Latin, ) is a legal procedure invoking the jurisdiction of a court to review the unlawful detention or imprisonment of an individual, and request the individual's custodian (usually a prison official) to ...

overturning Ovando's conviction. Ovando had spent two-and-a-half years incarcerated. On November 21, 2000, Ovando received a $15 million settlement, the largest police misconduct settlement in Los Angeles history. In 2008, Ovando fled from an attempted traffic stop and led police officers on an hour long high speed pursuit. He was subsequently charged with felony evading and assault on a police officer.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ovando, Javier Francisco 1977 births Date of birth missing (living people) Gang members Honduran drug traffickers Honduran emigrants to the United States Criminals from Los Angeles Place of birth missing (living people) People with paraplegia Police misconduct in the United States Honduran shooting survivors Honduran people imprisoned abroad Prisoners and detainees of California Living people Victims of police brutality in the United States