Stand Your Ground Hearing for Officers in 2019 UPS Shootout

Stand Your Ground Defense

• ⚖️ Three Miami-Dade police officers are seeking to have manslaughter charges dismissed in connection with the 2019 UPS shootout.
• 🛡️ Their defense attorneys are arguing that the stand your ground statute applies to their clients, similar to a previous case.
• ❓ The defense questions the necessity of a new hearing, given that one officer's case was already dismissed under the same statute.

The 2019 UPS Shootout

• 💥 The incident involved a deadly chase and shootout with UPS, resulting in the deaths of two armed suspects.
• 💔 Tragically, innocent bystanders Frank Ordonz and Richard Kutshaw were also killed unintentionally during the exchange of gunfire.
• 🔫 Officers Ralffo Mirabal, Leslie Lee, and Richard Santia Steon all discharged their weapons during the incident.

Legal Proceedings and Appeals

• 👨‍⚖️ A judge previously granted Officer Jose Mateo immunity from prosecution under the stand your ground defense after reviewing extensive testimony and evidence.
• 📝 Defense attorneys assert that the facts are similar for the remaining three officers and that the state's evidence does not support prosecution.
• 📈 Despite the defense's arguments, the state intends to proceed with prosecuting the remaining officers and has filed an appeal regarding Mateo's dismissal.
• 🗓️ A new hearing for the three officers is scheduled to begin on February 2nd and is expected to last up to 10 days.