Judge Clears Officers in UPS Driver's Death

0:00A South Florida judge has cleared three more police officers in the shooting death of a UPS driver taken hostage during a robbery back in 20, 19. Broward Circuit Judge Ernest Cora ruled that Miami-Dade officers, Richard Santee Esteban, Leslie Lee and Rodolfo Mirabal, Mirabal cannot face manslaughter. Charges, because Florida's stand-your-ground law justify their actions. This follows the same judge's decision last September to clear a fourth officer. Jose Mateo, the incident unfolded on December 5, 2019, when two jewelry store robbers forced 27-year-old Frank Ordones to drive away after grabbing him during a delivery in Miami-Dade County. A rush hour chase ended at a busy intersection in neighboring Miramar where a hail of gunfire killed Ordones, the two suspects, and an innocent. Passerby named Richard Cutshell, prosecutors argue the stand-your-ground law shouldn't shield officers when innocent bystanders like Ordones and Cutshell pose no threat.

1:02The Broward State Attorney's Office plans to appeal all four rulings, insisting immunity isn't the same as a jury verdict from the community. Meanwhile, the four officers remain suspended from their jobs, pending the outcome. Court footage showed one officer firing multiple rounds at the UPS truck during the confrontation, which the judge deemed necessary to stop the threat. As appeals move forward, this case highlights ongoing debates over police use of force and self-defense laws and high-stakes chases. Derm news today, powered by AI bringing you what matters.