The family of a UPS driver killed during a 2019 standoff on Miramar Parkway sat through emotional testimony in court Tuesday as disturbing police body camera video from the deadly shootout was played for the first time.
Family reacts to graphic footage
The mother of Frank Ordonez left the courtroom after viewing the video showing the moment her son was killed.
His UPS truck had been hijacked by two armed robbery suspects who led police on a two-county chase before the rush-hour shootout at a busy Miramar intersection.
“The video says it all, says exactly the actions that were taken,” said his stepfather, More Merino.
Officer claims stand your ground defense
The second day of the stand your ground hearing focused on Miami-Dade Officer Jose Mateo, one of four officers charged with manslaughter. Prosecutors said the officers unintentionally killed two innocent people, including Ordonez.
In court, a video was shown of Mateo firing 18 times, according to his attorney. Mateo is claiming stand your ground, arguing he should not face a manslaughter charge.
The judge also reviewed video from the December 2019 chase, in which a dispatcher was heard saying, “Use caution, shots have been fired, shots have been fired and the gunman had a gun [to] the UPS driver’s head.”
Arguments in court
Mateo’s attorney said officers had to rely on the information available to them in making critical, split-second decisions. He also argued the suspects could have ended the standoff at any time.
“They could have called 911 and said, ‘Hey, I’m the guy in the truck, sorry for what happened. Please tell your officers we’re going to surrender,” the attorney said.
The state argued that stand your ground does not apply, saying the two innocent victims were not aggressors and that police tactics were flawed.
