More than four and a half years after a police shootout involving robbery suspects in Miramar that left a UPS driver and a bystander dead, four Miami-Dade officers who were involved in the incident have been indicted.
The Miami-Dade Police Benevolent Association confirmed Monday that the officers had been indicted in the Dec. 5, 2019 shootout that left UPS driver Frank Ordonez and bystander Richard Cutshaw dead.
The officers names haven't been released and the charges they're facing were unknown.
"We’re extremely disappointed that after almost five years, these officers are finding themselves indicted for something they had seconds to decide," The Miami-Dade PBA said in a statement. "It sends a chilling effect to officers in Broward county, that their State Attorney’s Office prosecutes one officer for not responding an active shooter and now indicting officers for responding to active shooters. As the process moves forward, we will monitor it and defend our officers."
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The Broward State Attorney's Office said they couldn't confirm or comment on any grand jury proceedings until they're made public by a judge.
Ordonez had been working the day of the incident when there was an armed robbery and shootout at a jewelry shop in Coral Gables.
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The suspects took him hostage as they fled in his truck, leading to a pursuit that made its way to Broward County.
When the truck stopped in traffic at a light near Miramar Parkway and Flamingo Road, the suspects opened fire on officers, which resulted in an exchange of gunfire between law enforcement and the suspects, officials said.
The entire incident was caught on camera.
The 27-year-old Ordonez and 70-year-old Cutshaw, who was driving home from work, were killed in the crossfire, along with the two suspects.
Ordonez's family members had filed a lawsuit against law enforcement agencies, claiming they were negligent in the shooting.
But a Broward County judge ruled in August 2022 that they had no right to sue because of sovereign immunity.
