‘Murdered on live TV.’ Family mourns slain Miami UPS driver, questions police tactics

Seven months after UPS driver Frank Ordóñez was carjacked and later shot in the middle of a chaotic police firefight, relatives mourned him Monday night on what would have been his 28th birthday.

But as relatives and supporters honored Ordóñez at the Miramar intersection where he died, his brother — echoing recent protests across the country — called for more oversight on how police officers use force while protecting the public.

“His life was taken away by the reckless actions of the police, by them not following protocol and putting everyone’s lives in danger,” Ray Ordóñez said.

The memorial was held where Ordóñez and motorist Rick Cutshaw were shot and killed as a swarm of officers engaged in a gun battle with the two armed robbers who’d been holding the UPS driver hostage. “The police murdered my brother on live TV and we all had to watch in horror,” Ray Ordóñez told the crowd.

A small crowd held candles as a video screen showed clips of the shootout. Some held flowers and signs that said “Rest in Peace Frank” and “Black Lives Matter.” They lit candles inside sky lanterns that floated away into the twilight.

Ordóñez’s father, Luis Ordóñez, wearing a surgical mask to protect him from the coronavirus, broke down sobbing as his son spoke.

“We know now there is a systemic racism problem within the police department. There is a big problem with how policing is carried out in the United States,” Ray Ordóñez told the crowd.

Ray Ordóñez spoke as both families are still awaiting the result of a state investigation into the wild firefight that unfolded on live television, shocked the public and led to intense scrutiny on law-enforcement tactics. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has not yet revealed whether police bullets killed the UPS driver and Cutshaw, and its investigation has not been formally concluded and presented to prosecutors.

The memorial was held against the backdrop of the in-custody death of George Floyd, and widespread protests over police brutality that continue to unfold across the nation. Ray Ordóñez, a mechanic, has participated at local Black Lives Matter protests and has publicly advocated for ending “qualified immunity” — a legal doctrine that allows officers to often be shielded from civil lawsuits for killing civilians while on-duty.

In December, armed robbers Lamar Alexander and Ronnie Hill, both 41, held up a Coral Gables jewelry store, shooting one employee in the forehead before fleeing from a barrage of bullets fired by the store’s owner. Alexander and Hill then hijacked Ordóñez, taking him hostage while driving off in his UPS truck.

Police officers later chased the UPS truck as it weaved up Florida’s Turnpike and Interstate 75, all while the robbers fired at officers. The chase ended on Miramar Parkway near Flamingo Road, which was choked with rush-hour traffic on that Thursday evening.

Authorities said the robbers opened fire on police officers who rushed in to surround the UPS truck. In the gun battle, police bullets felled Alexander and Hill. At least 20 officers fired their guns, expending hundreds of rounds.

The FBI took command of the investigation because the jewelry store heist falls under the Hobbs Act, a federal law that allows for the prosecutions of robberies that affect interstate commerce. FDLE is investigating the use of police deadly force, and agents will eventually turn their findings over to the Broward State Attorney’s Office.

“The matter is still being investigated and our prosecutors are consulting with the investigating agency during this process. The case has not yet been presented to our office,” Broward State Attorney’s spokeswoman Paula McMahon said on Monday.

Said Jeremy Burns, an FDLE spokesman: “Since the case is still active, we aren’t able to provide any further information at this time.”

State prosecutors will present the evidence to a grand jury, which will decide whether officers were justified in using deadly force. But there could be delays because across Florida, grand juries have been suspended because of the ongoing coronavirus epidemic.

This story was originally published July 28, 2020 at 9:31 AM.