Six years after a deadly shootout on Miramar Parkway, new evidence and emotional testimony are emerging in court as Miami-Dade Police Officer José Mateo seeks to use Florida’s “stand your ground” law as a defense against a manslaughter charge.
The hearing, now in its third day, revisits the terrifying events that unfolded when two armed jewelry store robbers hijacked a UPS truck and led police on a 25-mile chase through rush hour traffic. The pursuit ended in a hail of gunfire that killed UPS driver Frank Ordoñez and innocent bystander Richard Cutshaw, who was caught in traffic ahead of the truck.
Witness recalls chaos and confusion
On the witness stand, school psychologist Felicia Barrera recounted the chaos. “When I saw people running toward me, it sounded like fireworks,” she said. “I saw fire coming out of the UPS truck.”
Ordoñez’s mother, speaking in Spanish, said she continues to suffer and has waited years for justice. Liliana Sardi, who was grazed in the head by a bullet during the initial robbery in Coral Gables, also testified. “I said, ‘I’m bleeding and need something for my head,'” she recalled.
Prosecutors challenge self-defense claim
Prosecutors argue that “stand your ground” does not apply in this case, pointing out that the two victims were not aggressors and that police fired more than 200 rounds into a truck with a hostage inside, surrounded by helpless drivers…