Javier Ovando

Who is Javier Ovando?

Javier Francisco Ovando, 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. Ovando is an immigrant and a former member of the powerful 18th Street Gang. He is the recipient of the largest police misconduct settlement in Los Angeles history.

Officers Durden and Pérez entered then 19-year old Ovando's apartment on 12 October 1996, and shot him, leaving him paralyzed. According to their 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.