In a controversial move that brings Florida’s Stand Your Ground statute center stage, suspended Miami-Dade Sheriff’s deputy Jose Mateo is invoking the self-defense law to seek dismissal of manslaughter charges against him. Mateo, along with three other officers, was charged in a chaotic shootout at a busy intersection in December 2019, which resulted in the deaths of a UPS driver and a bystander. According to NBC Miami, Mateo’s lawyer, Richard Diaz, insists that the charges are unfounded, and his client’s actions were justified under the stand-your-ground law and the fleeing felon law.
The shootout occurred following a high-speed chase that ended in gunfire exchanged with two armed robbers who had just hijacked the UPS truck, leading to a hail of nearly 90 bullets. The officers are not charged with killing the aggressors but rather with the manslaughter of the UPS driver, Frank Ordonez, and bystander Richard Cutshaw. “I don’t think it’s legal,” Diaz told NBC Miami. An FDLE investigation revealed that bullets from the officers’ weapons were responsible for the deaths of the unarmed victims. Despite the gravity of the incident, Mateo’s team is standing firm on the legality of their defense.
Broward Assistant State Attorney Chuck Morton has countered the defense’s argument, suggesting the officers acted with “reckless disregard of human life or the safety of persons exposed to its dangerous effects,” according to NBC Miami. Broward Circuit Court Judge Ernest Krolla is expected to rule on the pre-trial motions with jury selection potentially beginning this week. If Krolla grants immunity as per Mateo’s motion, the state may appeal, which will undoubtedly impact how the cases of the other defendants proceed…