Celebrity athlete faces permanent respiratory restrictions after incident
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – The court sentenced 22‑year‑old Jason Banegas to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the October 2021 shooting death of Hollywood Police Officer Yandy Chirino. Banegas, who was 18 when the incident occurred, pleaded guilty. The judge followed a jury recommendation that had rejected the death penalty.
Officer Chirino, 28 at the time of his death, was responding to a call about a suspicious person on the 400 block of North Hills Drive in Hollywood when he was shot twice in the face. Video from the night shows Banegas checking car doors, then a struggle that ended with the officer’s death.
The sentencing hearing drew a full courtroom, including many Hollywood police officers who appeared to support both the officer’s family and the department’s response. Officer Chirino had joined the Hollywood Police Department in 2017.
No witnesses testified during the proceedings. The judge’s ruling has closed the case, and Banegas remains in custody under a life‑sentencing order.