Judge dismisses case against officer accused in UPS shootout death, citing stand your ground law

"The pursuit ended at a Miramar intersection where Mateo and fellow officers Rodolfo Mirabal, Richard Santiesteban, and Leslie Lee were among the 20 from four agencies who participated in the standoff. All four were charged with manslaughter in Ordonez's death. In all, more than 221 shots were fired. Mateo was accused of being one of the officers whose shots killed Ordonez. He was charged with manslaughter in that case."

"No one was charged with the deaths of the kidnappers. In dismissing the case against Mateo, Kollra ruled that the officer had reason to believe deadly force was necessary to end the confrontation. It was not immediately clear whether the other officers will present the same argument to get their cases dismissed. The Broward State Attorney's Office is reviewing Kollra's ruling and will decide whether to appeal."

Judge Ernest Kollra dismissed manslaughter charges against Miami-Dade officer Jose Mateo, finding that Florida's stand-your-ground law justified Mateo's use of deadly force against kidnappers during a 2019 pursuit. The pursuit involved kidnapped UPS driver Frank Ordonez and assailants Lamar Alexander and Ronnie Jerome Hill and ended in a Miramar standoff with about 20 officers from four agencies. More than 221 shots were fired. All four primary officers at the scene were charged with manslaughter in Ordonez's death; Mateo was accused of firing the fatal shots. No officers were charged for the kidnappers' deaths. The Broward State Attorney's Office is reviewing the ruling for possible appeal.

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