MIRAMAR, FLA. (WSVN) – The Broward State Attorney’s Office announced it will appeal after a judge granted “Stand Your Ground” immunity to three former Miami-Dade Police officers charged in connection with the 2019 Miramar UPS shooting that killed a delivery driver and an innocent bystander.
Broward Circuit Court Judge Ernest Kollra on Monday issued a ruling dismissing charges against officers Leslie Lee, Rodolfo Mirabal and Richard Santiesteban.
A fourth officer, Jose Mateo, had already been granted immunity in a separate September ruling, which is also under appeal in the Fourth District Court of Appeal.
In a statement released Monday, prosecutors argued “Stand Your Ground” protections should not apply in cases involving bystanders who posed no threat to officers.
“Immunity from prosecution is not the same as a defense presented to a jury from this community,” the statement read.
The case stems from December 2019, when two men hijacked a UPS truck, triggering a police chase that ended in a shootout in Miramar. UPS driver Frank Ordonez and motorist Richard Cutshaw were killed in the crossfire.
All three officers argued they fired in self-defense during the chaotic exchange of gunfire.
Lee, the only one of the three to take the stand during February’s immunity hearing, testified that he repositioned his vehicle to flank the hijacked truck as it came to a stop. He previously acknowledged he initially lied to investigators, first denying he fired his weapon before later admitting he did.
Prosecutors said they plan to appeal all three new rulings in addition to the ongoing appeal of the Mateo ruling.
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