Florida Man With 'Cop Killer' Tattoo On Chest Shoots At Patrol Officer; Arrested

Florida police have arrested a man for shooting at a police officer inside his patrol vehicle in West Miami-Dade. The suspect, identified as Virgilio Salgado, has "cop killer" tattooed across his chest.

A photo of the suspect in custody acquired by WSVN shows him standing bare-chested with the inkwork on display.

Salgado was arrested Saturday night after he discharged a firearm at the officer who tried to pull him over near Northwest Seventh Avenue and Second Street.

Instead of stopping, Salgado started shooting at the patrol car, officials said, as reported by NBC Miami. The officer wasn't hurt.

One bullet struck the tire of the patrol car, stranding the unit in place, and Salgado used the opportunity to flee the spot in his black Nissan Titan pickup truck. However, detectives were able to catch up with him a few hours later in the same truck.

Police identified Salgado with the help of the bodycam footage and he was taken into custody on the spot. "I heard screaming, fighting, and then, like 10 minutes later, I heard gunshots," a woman who lives in the area told WSVN.

"If he's bold enough to do that, he'd be bold enough to do it to somebody else, a random person, not even a cop," said another person who lives in the area.

Salgado was faced with a slew of charges including aggravated assault with a firearm on a law enforcement officer, use of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and driving with a suspended license.

As of Saturday night, the man remained locked up at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $21,000 bond. He will be on house arrest once he is released from prison.

In June 2020, a man was accused of shooting at least two deputies in Tulsa, Oklahoma, during a traffic stop. David Anthony Ware, 32, was pulled over by cops due to the inspection tag on his vehicle and just when they attempted to tow it, the man resisted saying they were violating his rights. He then drew a gun from under a seat and fired at least three rounds each at two officers, striking them in the head at least once, following which he fled in a red SUV.