The Orlando Police Department (OPD) dedicates a lot of resources to its Investigative Services Bureau, which oversees the Criminal Investigation Division that resolves violent crimes, including assaults. If you are accused of committing an assault, the highly trained forensics officers will attempt to track and collect physical and digital evidence, and analyze crime patterns using state-of-the-art technology.
The process begins with a victim’s report or witness sighting of a violent crime, and although assault does not involve a physical altercation, the threat of one that makes someone fear for their safety is considered violent. If you are an OPD target for assault investigations in Orlando, you need to contact a knowledgeable assault defense attorney for help now.
Florida Statutes § 784.011 explains assault as an intentional threat to harm another person and instilling enough fear in the other person that they believe violence is imminent. In Florida, committing the act of violence is a battery. Assault is charged as aggravated assault if the perpetrator uses a weapon while making threats, such as pointing a gun at and threatening to kill someone.
The way the OPD investigates assaults is similar whether the suspect is known or unknown, such as a person brandishing a knife on an I-Ride trolley, threatening the riders before hopping off at the Universal stop. Many steps accompany these Orlando-area assault investigations.
The OPD assigns assault crimes to an investigating officer, who will consult with the person who received the initial report and then visit the crime scene. They may have to deal with getting medical assistance or calming those involved, but the primary task is to collect evidence that the prosecutor will use if charges are pressed. Even though assaults do not always involve actual physical violence, if the reporting party or a witness is injured, photos will be taken, and medical evaluation sought. Those at the scene can be asked to provide elimination fingerprints and if the perpetrator touched anything, such as a weapon brandished during the assault, it will be dusted for prints also.
The investigating officer will ask questions about the perpetrator and what transpired, and will compile statements either at the victim’s location or at the OPD headquarters. If the victim is a minor, the statement may be videotaped. The assault investigation shifts to suspect management once the Orlando police have a suspect or enough information to point them in the direction of one.
To cement identifying a suspect after police apply the information they gather by cross-matching similar crimes, using data from other departments, and interpreting clues and evidence, the victim or witnesses may be asked to participate in a line-up of suspects that match the description in their police statement. Alternative methods include identifying the suspect from a photo album of convicted criminals or using the Video Identification Parade Electronic Recording (VIPER) system.
Police work in tandem with prosecutors for the Ninth Judicial Circuit, serving Orange and Osceola counties to resolve criminal cases. A suspect may be notified they are under investigation or arrested and jailed if the prosecutor believes the person is a danger to the public. Bail might be granted, but it is up to the prosecutor and judge to agree. Charges are pressed once the prosecutor believes they have enough evidence to prove the suspect guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Assault investigations in Orlando are a concerted effort between many players in the criminal justice system. If you are arrested or notified that you are being investigated, the prosecutor likely already has evidence against you, and to protect your rights, you should contact a well-established defense lawyer immediately.
You may have made an idle threat in anger and now find yourself being investigated for assault or aggravated assault. It does not mean you will be judged guilty, because there are many opportunities to present your side of the incident, from negotiating a plea bargain to exonerating you because the prosecutor cannot prove your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
We know how the process unfolds because we have decades of experience successfully defending clients against the same charges. Although simple assault is a misdemeanor, aggravated assault is a felony. If you are the subject of assault investigations in Orlando, contact a trusted, experienced advocate now.
The Umansky Law Firm Criminal Defense & Injury Attorneys
