Four Miami-Dade police officers may face charges in connection with a fatal 2019 UPS truck gunfight, according to the police union.
In the tumultuous events of December 5, 2019, bullets flew aimlessly across a bustling South Florida intersection, as up to 18 law enforcement officers from three different departments chased a duo of jewelry heist suspects who had commandeered a UPS truck and led authorities on an extended vehicle pursuit.
The President of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association, Steadman Stahl, expressed dismay, as he anticipated the impending indictment of these officers, explaining, "We're disheartened that these officers who were forced to make split-second decisions find themselves in this position after nearly five years."
The identities and charges of the officers anticipated to be indicted were withheld by the police union, and CNN attempted to obtain comment from the Miami-Dade Police Department.
In response to this situation, the Broward County State Attorney's Office released a statement disclosing, "Grand jury proceedings are confidential under Florida law, and any actions taken by a grand jury remain private until a judge makes them public."
In reference to the pending indictments, Stahl raised his concerns, highlighting the indictment of a past school resource officer who faced charges for refusing to enter an active shooting scene at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018 only to be found not guilty. He cautioned that these prosecutions can potentially confuse law enforcement.
"It's concerning that the State Attorney's Office in Broward County is prosecuting one officer for not responding to an active shooting and now is indicting officers for responding to active shooter situations," Stahl expressed, speculating, "As the process progresses, we will keep a close eye on it and support our officers."
The predicament started with an armed robbery at a Coral Gables jewelry store. Subsequently, the two suspects, Lamar Alexander and Ronnie Jerome Hill, commandeered the UPS truck and seized its driver as a hostage, culminating in a 30-mile pursuit crisscrossing through two counties with sporadic shots fired from the hijacked delivery truck.
The pursuit came to a standstill when bullets were exchanged between the suspects and law enforcement at a congested intersection in Miramar, with some police using their vehicles as improvised shields.
Ultimately, four fatalities occurred: the two suspects, a bystander, and the UPS driver, Frank Ordonez, who are reported to have been filling in for a co-worker who had called out from work that day.
The bystander, Richard "Rick" Cutshaw, was a labor union field representative, targeted by crossfire while driving home from work, as relayed by Don Slesnick, his attorney at the Office and Professional Employees International Union.
CNN's Elizabeth Wolfe contributed to this report.
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The police union announced that several Miami-Dade police officers might be facing charges, which has led to concerns among their supporters.Despite the initial chaos, it's crucial for us to stand by these officers as they navigate this challenging situation.
