FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Suspended Miami-Dade police officers Rodolfo Mirabal, Richard Santiesteban and Leslie Lee were back in a Broward County courtroom on Wednesday.
It was the third day of hearings as the three try to get manslaughter charges filed against them dropped based on the “stand your ground” statue.
The hearing comes after a deadly shootout in Miramar in 2019 when Frank Ordonez, a UPS employee, was carjacked and kidnapped by Lamar Alexander and Ronnie Hill following an armed robbery at a Coral Gables jewelry store.
After leading police on a cross-county chase that ended in Miramar, Hill and Alexander were shot and killed after 20 officers opened fire.
Innocent bystanders Ordonez and Richard Cutshaw, who was sitting in his car when the gunfire erupted, were also killed in the hail of gunfire.
In court Wednesday, the state showed body worn camera footage from Mirabal to Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigator Alex Villanueva, who reviewed the case.
Cellphone video was also shown which captured the moments nearly two dozen officers opened fire.
Forensic pathologist Rebecca MacDougall also testified on Wednesday.
A dismissal of a manslaughter charge was already granted to officer Jose Mateo, who said he acted in self-defense following his hearing in September.
While these three co-defendants are hoping to receive the same outcome, it’s state prosecutors who argue the “stand your ground” statue does not apply and officers could’ve used better judgement during their response.
The hearings will resume on Tuesday.
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