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Stand Your Ground Hearing Concludes for 3 Miami-Dade Officers in 2019 Miramar Shootout

Judge Ernest Kollra ordered written Stand Your Ground briefs within two and a half weeks.

Overview

  • Attorneys were directed to file their arguments by Feb. 27, with no ruling yet on immunity for the three former officers.
  • Leslie Lee testified he fired to protect hostage Frank Ordoñez and nearby civilians after perceiving a threat from the UPS truck.
  • Prosecutor Chuck Morton argued the officers used reckless, disproportionate force that led to avoidable deaths.
  • Rodolfo Mirabal, Richard Santiesteban and Lee face manslaughter charges in Ordoñez’s death, and Mirabal also faces a manslaughter charge in motorist Richard Cutshaw’s death.
  • A fourth former officer, Jose Mateo, received Stand Your Ground immunity last year, a ruling now on appeal as the court again weighs the law’s application to police, including in a case where the victim was not the intended target.