Florida Judge Dismisses Charges Against 3 More Officers in UPS Driver Death

A Florida judge has dismissed manslaughter charges against three additional Miami-Dade police officers involved in the 2019 shooting death of UPS driver Frank Ordonez during a hostage situation. The judge cited Florida's 'stand your ground' law as justification, while prosecutors plan to appeal all four dismissals.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A Florida circuit court judge has dismissed criminal charges against three additional police officers connected to the fatal shooting of a UPS driver during a 2019 hostage situation.

Broward Circuit Judge Ernest Kollra determined Monday that Miami-Dade officers Richard Santiesteban, Leslie Lee and Rodolfo Mirabal cannot face prosecution for manslaughter in Frank Ordonez’s death due to Florida’s ‘stand your ground’ statute. This follows the judge’s September decision to clear officer Jose Mateo using identical legal reasoning.

The Broward State Attorney’s Office announced plans to challenge all four dismissals on appeal.

“Immunity from prosecution is not the same as a defense presented to a jury from this community,” prosecutors stated. “It is our belief that Stand Your Ground immunity does not apply in matters involving innocent bystanders, like Frank Ordonez and Richard Cutshaw, who presented no danger to officers. In this incident, two innocent men were killed, and the lives of numerous other innocent bystanders were endangered.”

The deadly incident unfolded on December 5, 2019, when Ordonez, age 27, was making deliveries in Miami-Dade County. According to police, two suspects attempting to rob a jewelry store kidnapped the driver and commandeered his delivery truck to flee the scene. The pursuit continued through rush-hour traffic before ending at a crowded intersection in Broward County.

Authorities determined that Mateo fired the fatal shots that killed Ordonez. The confrontation also claimed the lives of both robbery suspects and bystander Richard Cutshaw in the exchange of gunfire at the Miramar intersection.

Court proceedings included body camera footage showing Mateo’s pursuit of the delivery truck. The video captured his partner holding a rifle in the passenger seat and showed Mateo approaching the vehicle, firing all rounds from his weapon, reloading, and then removing Ordonez from the truck.

Judge Kollra determined the officers reasonably believed lethal force was required to resolve the dangerous situation.

All four officers remain on suspension from their positions with the department.