FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Four Miami-Dade police officers surrendered on Friday and Saturday at the Broward County main jail in Fort Lauderdale after a grand jury indicted them over their alleged actions during the police-involved shooting that killed four men, including an innocent bystander and a kidnapping victim, on Dec. 5, 2019, in Miramar.
The four police officers — Richard Santiesteban, Leslie Lee, Jose Mateo, and Rodolfo Mirabal — followed Lamar Alexander and Ronnie Jerome Hill after reports that the armed men had robbed a jewelry store, kidnapped Frank Ordonez, who was working as a UPS driver, and stolen the UPS truck in Coral Gables.
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According to the Broward State Attorney’s Office, Mirabal, 39, faces two manslaughter charges. Santiesteban, 33; Lee, 57; and Mateo, 32, are each facing a charge of manslaughter with a firearm. Santiesteban, Mateo, and Mirabal surrendered on Friday and Lee surrendered on Saturday.
The charges stem from a pursuit during rush hour after the stolen UPS truck. It involved Florida Highway Patrol troopers and police officers with the Miami-Dade, Pembroke Pines, and Miramar departments.
Rush-hour traffic forced the armed robbery suspects to stop near Miramar Parkway and Flamingo Road. There was a shootout in the busy intersection. The witnesses included drivers and pedestrians who survived.
Richard Cutshaw was in his car — just eight miles from his home in Pembroke Pines. The union representative was also stuck in traffic and was caught in the crossfire. He was 70. His family wanted answers.
Ordonez, the kidnapping victim and a father of two girls ages 3 and 6, was also caught in the crossfire. He was 27. His family also wanted answers.
Alexander and Hill also didn’t survive the shooting. They were both 41.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigated the police-involved shooting and turned over the results to the Broward County State Attorney’s Office on Sept. 15, 2021. The FBI also investigated the shooting.
After a Broward County grand jury investigation, the police officers were indicted on June 6. After the officers surrendered, Broward Sheriff’s Office correctional deputies released them. The Miami-Dade Police Benevolent Association provided the four police officers with legal representation.
“Deciding whether to use deadly force is among the most serious and consequential decisions a police officer can make,” Broward State Attorney Harold F. Pryor said in a statement. “We understand that these decisions are often made during intense and uncertain circumstances.”
Related podcast: FLORIDA FILES: A deep dive into the shootout gone wrong
Local 10 News Reporters Bridgette Matter and Annaliese Garcia, and Assignment Desk Planning Editor Frine Gomez contributed to this report.