Attempts to prosecute two Miami-Dade Police officers charged in a 2019 shootout with suspects that left a hijacked UPS driver and bystander dead in Miramar are over.
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Officers Richard Santiesteban and Leslie Lee had their manslaughter charges dismissed in March under Florida’s so-called “Stand Your Ground” law.
The Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal recently dismissed an appeal of that decision from the Broward State Attorney’s Office.
The Dec. 5, 2019 shootout killed Frank Ordonez, a UPS driver taken hostage by armed gunmen, and Richard Cutshaw, an innocent driver who sat idle at a red light along Miramar Parkway where police engaged the suspects.
Police said the two suspects took Ordonez hostage after an armed robbery at a Coral Gables jewelry store and led authorities on a pursuit into Miramar before the shootout unfolded at the intersection.
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A video timeline first revealed by NBC6 Investigates confirmed the kidnappers fired first after they hijacked the UPS truck and took Ordóñez hostage.
Two other officers involved in the shootout, Jose Mateo and Rodolfo Mirabal, were also granted “Stand Your Ground” immunity.
The appeal of Mateo’s immunity was voluntarily dismissed by the Florida Attorney General last month.
Mirabal’s immunity case remains under appeal. Evidence showed it was a bullet from his gun that killed Cutshaw.
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