February 19 Update: DeVantell Cooper, the 27-year-old Daytona Beach and Bunnell man wanted in an alleged shooting at a driver on U.S. 1 last month, was arrested in Daytona Beach today, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office announced.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s Problem Area Crime Enforcement Unit learned that Cooper may be staying at an apartment complex in Daytona Beach. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Daytona Beach Police Department and their SWAT team made contact with Cooper at the apartment complex and took him into custody today, a sheriff’s release states.
Cooper has been booked at the Flagler County jail almost a dozen times in the past 10 years, the last time last December, on a drug charge, when he was court-ordered released. He was to be arraigned on that charge, a third-degree felony, on Feb. 24. His warrant calls for a no-bond incarceration this time.
The previous story is below.
Sheriff Seeking DeVantell Cooper, ‘Armed and Dangerous’ Felon Wanted in Shooting at U.S. 1 Roundabout
January 18–Early the evening of Jan. 12, an individual was driving north on U.S. 1, noticing a black Nissan Altima following closely behind, then tailgating and refusing to pass by despite the driver slowing intentionally. When the driver reached the roundabout, the individual noticed the rear window on the suspect’s vehicle go down and saw a brown-skinned man in a gray hoodie, with short, faded style hair hold his arm out with a gun and fire two shots at the individual’s vehicle. The suspect vehicle then continued on the roundabout and went south toward Ormond Beach.
The individual suffered a panic attack, went to a local hospital, and reported the incident to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. Bullet holes were located inside the trunk and an indentation was located on the rear bumper of the victim’s vehicle, presumably from the bullet exiting. On Jan. 16, Circuit Judge Terence Perkins signed a warrant for the arrest of DeVantell Rashaun Cooper, a 27-year-old resident of Flagler and Volusia counties whose last known address was 1105 Berkshire Road in Holly Hill.
Cooper had two stints in state prison, the last one ending two years ago after a second conviction on drug charges and on charges of fleeing police, a reflection of his very slippery history when it comes to eluding law enforcement. He has more than a dozen aliases, changing names with the frequency of changing locations and cars–he has a “history of using rental vehicles during his prior violations of the law,” according to his arrest affidavit–and has a dozen arrests in Flagler alone on drug charges, illegal weapons possession, contempt, resisting and burglary, though until now and aside from the fleeing charges, he had not faced charges for a violent offense.
Detectives concluded that Cooper is the alleged shooter at the roundabout based on a series of verifications of the victim’s account, through observations about the alleged assailant’s car, analyses of rentals of Nissans matching the vehicle description, and especially data from the sheriff’s license plate readers (provided by Vigilant Solutions), which produced license plate numbers and a timeline. Further investigation suggested that Cooper was staying at Bermuda Estates Apartments in Ormond Beach.
During the investigation, a detective “located the black Nissan Altima bearing Florida tag KQT X59, parked within a general parking area of the complex,” the arrest affidavit states. The detective “then captured several photographs of the vehicle,” noticing that the window tint on the rear driver’s was peeling up, just as the victim had described it. The detective spoke with the rental agency, which revealed that the car had been rented to an individual currently on probation in Volusia, and wearing an ankle monitor. The company also provided GPS data from the car, which established the path of the vehicle at the time when the victim described the shooting: it matched the locations given.
Cooper faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and shooting into an occupied vehicle, both felonies. He is still at large. “De’Vantell Cooper should be considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached,” the sheriff’s office said in a release issued Friday.
“This is a dangerous individual who needs to be taken off the streets as soon as possible,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “Anyone with information on his whereabouts is encouraged to call the Sheriff’s Office or CrimeStoppers as soon as possible.”
If anyone has any information on his whereabouts, please call the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office at 386-313-4911. To remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers at 1-888-277-TIPS (8477). Information leading to the capture of this violent felon could lead to a cash reward up to $5,000.00.
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Steve says
So is it just me or does this no mind needs to be locked up forever and then some
April says
This is the same guy who stole my rental car and has threatened mine and my son’s lives of I don’t drop charges yet they keep letting him out. Unreal.
palmcoaster says
Lock him up and throw away the key!
Land of no turn signals says says
Those roundabouts bring out the bad in people.
Really says
Counted 14 arrests. Theres probably more. WHY is this thing still out in Society shooting at people. REALLY
attila says
At 27 and a LONG criminal record and he’s still out trying to kill someone. What the hell are we paying these judges for not doing their job. In the private sector they’d fire long ago for not doing the job they were hired to do.
Lance Carroll says
Exactly…the judges. Please spread credit to state attorney office and public defender office too…
Richard says
I would consider him to be a home grown terrorist that needs to be dispatched not locked up.
CB from PC says
Like I said before, Capital Punishment makes for a safer society.
I also said putting in these roundabouts is a bad idea.
Cappy says
As many offenses this POS has he should already be locked up under the Repeat Offender Laws.
Steve Vanne says
I guess he didn’t like that stupid roundabout. Almost got hit yesterday there.
Willy Boy says
Okay, what’s “faded style” hair?
Dave says
I’d like to know the full story and the road rage incident that obviously led up to the shooting.
This story makes it seem as if the guy with the gun jus randomly fired for almost no reason when there was clearly more going on here.
I am happy they identified the shooter and hope they catch him soon ,but I really want to hear the truth come out on what really happened. And if the “victim” had a little more to do with the outcome then it seems
CB from PC says
Here’s the full story. This guy is a convicted felon in possession of a firearm…and shooting at an unarmed motorist.
That is all that is needed to know…except for his court date where you may want to vouch for his “character”.
April says
Really? Google his name and look at his EXTENSIVE criminal record. I don’t think he needed a reason. He’s just a crazy POS who has obtained an undeserving sense of entitlement. He needs to be locked up. End of story.
Steve says
Agree and I am sure there is more to it, but to pull a gun and shoot at the other is still wacked out right?
Outsider says
Yeah, as if there is some act that would justify shooting into a person’s vehicle. Maybe he flipped him the bird; that’s just cause for murder.
Dave says
What if the car that got shot at was brandishing a weapon, or fired shots first? Or maybe this was a drug deal gone wrong?
The story says there was a delay before it was called in due to a “panic attack” by the victim which also could have just been time to hide weapons or drugs.
Not saying that’s what really happened but there are plenty of possible situations that may have occurred that make more sense
Agkistrodon says
You seem to have quite a different stance with this guy setting rounds off while driving, why is that Dave. You were all concerned with a different guy firing rounds off while driving, but not that he was drunk, so what gives Dave? Are you one of the misinformed that thinks it isokay to fire off handgun rounds recklessly but not rifle rounds? Cause both will kill equally. So why defend this guy, orgive him an excuse but not the other guy?
Jimbo99 says
If someone does something out on the road that might trigger another, it’s just smarter to pull off the road for a minute or few, trust me the a55h*73 is no longer a threat 30 or so seconds down the road. Whether it’s the felon or the victim here. Regardless of there being 2 idiots that coincided at the same point in time, nobody has to be either of them or become another ingredient to the incident. Such a delimna, was it a drug deal that went wrong ?
Concerned Citizen says
The suspect is wearing an ankle monitor? And is still at large?
I thought the whole purpose of ankle monitors was to allow the tracking of offenders. If he still has it on he should be in custody by now. Why is someone with that type of record even allowed a chance at probation anyways?
Probation should be for first time non violent offenders who stand a chance of turning things around. Not career felons who have total disregard for the law.
Nancy N. says
I read the article to mean that the renter of the car who was wearing the monitor was NOT the same suspect who was being sought for the shooting.
Also, many offenders do probation after release from prison as a second stage of their sentence. Being sentenced to probation doesn’t mean it is the only sentence that was given.
hawkeye says
In my estimation , this piece of shit needs to go away for a long time , and in all actuality should not have been free due to all his previous charges
Name (required) says
Content of character… nobody gets it. Dr. King died to give these folks a chance to do the right thing. Even given the same opportunities, SAME education; but still, resistance. Such a shame. Glad nobody died. This “thug” (fact) will see parole in 15 years or less. What a live to be so .. “Hard.” Lol. Eff everybody. This is your world. Deal with it. History has taught nothing to anybody, clearly. So sad.
Dennis says
Why was this guy not in prison already? Nothing but a law breaker. The laws are too easy on career criminals.