In 2019, four Florida police officers were indicted on manslaughter charges during a shootout with a suspect who hijacked a UPS driver that left a UPS driver and a bystander dead.
A grand jury indicted Miami-Dade County Officer Rodolfo Mirabal, 39, on two counts of firearms manslaughter in connection with the Dec. 5, 2019, death of UPS driver Frank Ordone, 27 Frank Ordonez was involved in the death of 70-year-old UPS driver Richard Cutshaw.
Officers Jose Mateo, 32, Richard Santiesteban, 33, and Leslie Lee, 57, were charged with causing Ordonez They were charged with manslaughter in Katzshaw’s death.
Mirabal and Mateo still work for the Miami-Dade Police Department, while Lee retired three years ago and Santisteban was fired, the Miami Herald reported.
South Florida police kill UPS driver in shootout, 3 others placed on administrative leave: report
Four Florida police officers have been charged with manslaughter after a UPS driver and a bystander were killed in a 2019 shootout with hijackers. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
No officers have been charged in the killings of the hijacker and his cousins, Lamar Alexander, 41, and Ronnie Jerome Hill, 41.
The officers turned themselves in to the Broward Sheriff’s Office on Friday and Saturday after indictments were issued more than a week ago. They were released without bail.
If convicted, the officers face up to 30 years in prison.
Broward State Attorney Harold Pryor said the years-long state investigation and months-long grand jury proceedings were necessary “to ensure we find answers for the victims’ families and the community.”
“Deciding whether to use deadly force is one of the most serious and important decisions a police officer can make,” Pryor said in a statement. “We know these decisions are often made under tense and uncertain circumstances. of.”
Miami-Dade police previously said in a statement that they “respect the legal process.”
Robber slain in Florida UPS truck hijack identified, sparks shootout with police
Police have not yet laid charges in connection with the deaths of the two hijackers. (Tammy Alvarez/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
The union representing officers criticized the indictment last week.
Stedman Starr, president of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association, said in a statement: “We are extremely disappointed that nearly five years later, these officers find themselves guilty of decisions they made in seconds. “This has had a chilling effect on Broward County officials. “
The shootout took place on a suburban street in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, during rush hour, with several police agencies in hot pursuit.
About 20 law enforcement officers were at the scene, but it was unclear how many fired at the hijackers, who fired at police during the pursuit.
Alexander and Hill allegedly robbed the Regent Jewelry store in the Miami suburb of Coral Gables and were shooting inside the store when police arrived. During the incident, a store employee was hit in the head by a projectile.
The robbers fled the store and abducted Ordonez, who was delivering a package nearby. The pair then led police on a lengthy chase through southern Broward County, during which time shots were fired at them while Ordonez was still inside the van.
Kidnapped UPS driver, bystander and jewelry store robbery suspect dead in rush hour shootout on Florida highway
Two hijackers, the UPS driver and a passerby were all killed in the December 2019 shootout. (Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
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The suspect eventually came to a stop in the center lane of a busy intersection because he was stuck behind a wall of cars at a red light.
The shootout began with officers running between cars while running toward the van. Alexander, Hill and Ordonez were killed inside the van, while Cutshaw was found dead inside.
Investigators have not yet revealed whether Ordonez and Cutshaw were shot by police, a suspect or both.
It is rare for Florida law enforcement officers to be charged with on-duty killings, with only three such cases occurring in the past 40 years. Of those, only one officer was convicted.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
