PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – A Pembroke Pines police officer has been placed on administrative leave after a shootout with armed robbers that claimed the lives of two innocent victims.
Pembroke Pines police Capt. Al Xiques said Tuesday that an officer who discharged his or her gun during last week's shootout in Miramar has been placed on administrative leave, per department policy.
Recommended Videos
Four people were killed in Thursday afternoon's shootout between officers and two armed robbers who hijacked a UPS truck and held the driver hostage, leading authorities on a chase from Coral Gables into Miramar.
The chase came to an end when the UPS truck was blocked by traffic along busy Miramar Parkway, leading to the shootout.
Both robbers were killed, along with the UPS driver, Frank Ordonez, 27, and another man, Richard Cutshaw, 70, who was sitting in his car when he was struck by a stray bullet.
Ordonez’s stepfather has been critical of how police handled the situation, calling his stepson’s death “murder.”
Authorities haven't said who fired the fatal shots.
The Pembroke Pines Police Department is deferring all inquiries to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which is investigating the police-involved shooting, and the FBI.
“Our agency extends our deepest sympathy to the victims’ families for their tragic loss,” Xiques said.