Man who killed Broward cop as a teen now pleads guilty. He’s facing death penalty
A man facing the death penalty for the 2021 murder of a Broward police officer spontaneously pleaded guilty to all charges against him in court on Monday, prosecutors say.
Jason Banegas, 22, was arrested in the killing of Hollywood police officer Yandy Chirino during a scuffle. Chirino, a cop of four years, had confronted Banegas for breaking into cars, prosecutors say.
Banegas was charged with a slew of offenses, including first-degree murder, burglary and battery on a law enforcement officer.
From the start, Banegas confessed to the break-ins — and told detectives he shot Chirino, 28, in the face during a botched attempt to take his own life, according to court documents. Banegas was 18 at the time of the murder.
Banegas’ guilty plea wasn’t the result of negotiations with prosecutors, the Broward State Attorney’s Office confirmed Monday afternoon. The case will proceed with attorneys selecting jurors — who will ultimately decide whether Banegas should be executed for gunning down the officer.
Chirino and Banegas crossed paths on Oct. 17, 2021 in Hollywood’s Emerald Hills neighborhood, when Chirino attempted to arrest Banegas for breaking into vehicles. The officer was supposed to be off the Sunday he was killed; Banegas had just been released from a “high-risk” detention center.
Their scuffle escalated — with Banegas holding a Glock pistol and, later, pulling the trigger. Banegas’ 16-year-old sister had given him the gun, which she stole from a man earlier that year, according to police.
“[Banegas] stated he was being disrespected by the officer and panicked because he was carrying a concealed weapon and did not want to go back to jail as he was just released 30 days ago,” his arrest warrant said.
He also told detectives that he resisted being handcuffed because he didn’t want to go back to juvenile detention, court records show. He had been placed on “conditional” release for drug charges.
A police officer who responded to the scene and witnessed the tail end of the incident said he saw Banegas with the firearm as Chirino “was attempting to wrestle the pistol away from him.”
The officer kicked Banegas — who dropped the gun after shooting Chirino — and arrested him, according to the warrant. Paramedics rushed Chirino to Memorial Regional Hospital with a gunshot wound between his ear and jaw.
Banegas has maintained that he pulled out the gun to kill himself “but the officer kept moving around” as he pulled the trigger, per court records.
In 2011, Chirino graduated from Coral Park Senior High School, where he played soccer. He was an extreme sport enthusiast who came to the U.S. from Cuba at a young age and was the youngest of two children, according to Local 10.
Banegas’ death penalty trial is expected to begin on Nov. 17 before Broward Circuit Court Judge Ernest Kollra.
