Career
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 October 12, 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.
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 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.
