A Miami-Dade Sheriff’s officer readying for trial next week in the killing of two innocent men, including a UPS driver, during a wild shootout at a busy Broward County intersection six years ago made a last-ditch effort to have his case tossed on Friday.
Suspended officer Jose Mateo, 33, who pleaded not guilty to manslaughter along with three other officers last year in the shooting death of the UPS truck driver and a man stuck in traffic, argued in Broward County Circuit Court that he is protected by the state’s Stand Your Ground and fleeing felon laws and that the charges against him should be dropped.
The Stand Your Ground statute allows a person – and police officers – in Florida to take up to deadly action if they feel their life is threatened. The fleeing felon law allows police to shoot at a suspect if they believe that person is a danger to society while trying to avoid custody…