A Florida police detective was overcome with emotion in court this week as he recounted the horrifying moment he saw his best friend and fellow officer shot dead during a routine call.
Emotional Testimony in Death Penalty Hearing
Detective Manuel Rodriguez-Blevins struggled to speak through tears on the witness stand on Tuesday, dabbing his eyes with tissues. He was testifying at the death penalty hearing for Jason Banegas, 22, who in October shockingly changed his plea to guilty on ten charges, including first-degree murder.
The charges relate to the October 2021 shooting death of 28-year-old Officer Yandy Chirino of the Hollywood Police Department. Jurors must now decide whether to recommend Banegas faces execution or spends the rest of his life in prison without parole.
Prosecutor Kristine Bradley argued the death penalty was justified, citing that the killing was especially "heinous, atrocious and cruel" and that the victim was an on-duty police officer.
A Friendship Cut Short by Violence
Rodriguez-Blevins described the scene on North Hills Drive in Hollywood. Officer Chirino, though off-duty, had responded to reports of a suspicious man checking car door handles. When Chirino tried to arrest the then-18-year-old Banegas, a struggle over the suspect's Glock pistol ensued.
"He was pointing at his face... and was shot," Rodriguez-Blevins testified, explaining his friend was trying to wrestle the gun away. The detective arrived to see Banegas with the firearm before Chirino was shot in the face at near point-blank range.
The court also heard from Officer Henry Martinez, who performed CPR on Chirino all the way to hospital. He revealed the depth of their bond: "We worked in the same squad... He later became my roommate and I was honored to make him the godfather of my son."
Surveillance footage shown to jurors depicted the frantic aftermath, with officers carrying Chirino into Memorial Regional Hospital and colleagues rushing in. Despite efforts, Chirino—awarded Officer of the Month in June 2020—was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. It was the first line-of-duty death in Hollywood since 1982.
The Defendant's Confession and Defence
Following his arrest, Banegas confessed to attempted burglaries. In a startling claim, he told officers he shot Chirino during a botched suicide attempt. He said he panicked because he was carrying a concealed weapon and had been conditionally released from a detention centre for cocaine possession just 30 days prior.
His defence maintains he pulled the gun to kill himself, but "the officer kept moving around" as he pulled the trigger. Rodriguez-Blevins testified that after the shot, he kicked Banegas, who dropped the weapon, and arrested him.
To recommend death, jurors must find the prosecution's aggravating factors outweigh the defence's mitigating circumstances. Only eight of the twelve jurors need to agree for the judge to consider the sentence, though the final decision rests with the judge.
