MIRAMAR, FLA. (WSVN) - Authorities have provided new details, days after four Miami-Dade Police officers were indicted for an officer-involved shooting in Miramar that left four people dead.
The Dec. 5, 2019 shooting claimed the lives of a UPS driver, another innocent driver and two robbery suspects on the busy intersection of Miramar Parkway and Flamingo Road.
Twenty-seven-year-old Frank Ordoñez, who was kidnapped in his UPS truck, and 70-year-old Richard Cutshaw, who was just sitting in traffic, were both shot to death. The robbery suspects, Lamar Alexander and Ronnie Jerome Hill, were also killed.
Saturday night, the Broward State Attorney’s Office said the four officers have been charged with manslaughter following a grand jury investigation.
Officials said 39-year-old Rodolfo Mirabal is facing two counts of manslaughter with a firearm for the deaths of Ordoñez and Cutshaw.
Thirty-two-year-old Jose Mateo, 33-year-old Richard Santiesteban and 57-year-old Leslie Lee are facing one count each of manslaughter with a firearm for the death of Ordonez.
In a statement, Broward State Attorney Harold F. Pryor wrote:
“Deciding whether to use deadly force is among the most serious and consequential decisions a police officer can make. We understand that these decisions are often made during intense and uncertain circumstances. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted an extensive investigation of the officers involved in the shootings and their circumstances. Given the enormity of the gunfire in this incident at an extremely busy intersection packed with civilian motorists and pedestrians, we presented these agencies’ findings to the grand jury.
Although the process has taken a long time, we feel the grand jury was necessary to ensure we get answers for the victims’ families and the community. All of this was done with the mindset of pursuing justice. The indictment speaks for itself, and any further comments we have will be through the court process, as is our standing policy.”
Broward State Attorney Harold F. Pryor
As of late Saturday night, the Miami-Dade Police Department has not commented.
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