Police Bullets Confirmed in Death of Hispanic UPS Driver in Miami-Dade Pursuit

A report from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) has confirmed that bullets fired by Miami-Dade police officers were responsible for the deaths of UPS driver Frank Ordóñez and another motorist during a December 2019 pursuit involving jewelry store robbers. The officers now face charges related to the incident.

The shooting occurred on December 5, 2019, after two armed robbery suspects took Ordóñez hostage, forcing him to drive his delivery truck through the highways of Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The chase ended in Miramar, near the intersection of Miramar Parkway and Flamingo Road, where the suspects exchanged gunfire with the officers, leading to a deadly shootout.

Ordóñez, 27, of Ecuadorian descent, and 70-year-old Richard Cutshaw, who was on his way home from work, were killed in the crossfire. According to the 66-page FDLE report, approximately 20 officers, including those from Miramar, Pembroke Pines, and a Florida Highway Patrol officer, fired around 200 shots during the incident.

The autopsy of Ordóñez revealed five bullets, with at least one traced back to the weapons of the four involved Miami-Dade officers: Rodolfo Mirabal, José Mateo, Richard Santiesteban, and Leslie Lee. These officers were formally charged with involuntary manslaughter in June.

The four officers face charges for Ordóñez's death, while Mirabal also faces an additional involuntary manslaughter charge for Cutshaw's death. The FDLE report indicates that Cutshaw was struck by a bullet fired by Mirabal while in his Mercury Grand Marquis, several cars away from the UPS truck.

The indictment against the officers states that their shots were a result of "culpable negligence" and "without lawful justification," circumstances that do not constitute excusable homicide. In July, Broward State Attorney Harold Pryor explained that a grand jury issued the indictments after reviewing evidence over several months. Pryor emphasized the importance of presenting the findings to the grand jury due to the significant public safety risks posed by the shootout at such a busy intersection filled with civilians.

Joe Merino, Ordóñez's Cuban stepfather, and Lucy Apolinario, his mother, expressed no surprise at the report's conclusions, stating they had always believed the bullets that killed their son came from the police. "Frank came out of the passenger door with his hands up, and they kept shooting. He tried to crawl under the truck for cover but wasn't given a chance," Merino said.

"I knew from the beginning those bullets were from the police because I knew Frank, and he must have begged them not to hurt him since he was a father," said his mother, referring to her son's young child. "I said, 'That's my son,' because I felt it, I felt something tear inside me... It was shown on the news channels. I saw when they killed my son. I will never forget that," she added.

The accused officers voluntarily surrendered to face the charges and have pleaded not guilty. The trial is scheduled to begin on February 17, 2025, and they remain free on bail until then.