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2019 Miramar shootout

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Coordinates: 25°58′44″N 80°16′57″W / 25.97889°N 80.28250°W / 25.97889; -80.28250
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2019 Miramar shootout
Miramar is located in Florida
Miramar
Miramar
Miramar (Florida)
Miramar is located in the United States
Miramar
Miramar
Miramar (the United States)
LocationMiramar, Florida, U.S.
DateDecember 5, 2019 (2019-12-05)
Attack type
mass shooting
Deaths4 (including both perpetrators)
Injured1
PerpetratorsLamar Alexander
Ronnie Jerome Hill

On December 5, 2019, a police pursuit of jewelry store robbers in Miramar, Florida, United States, culminated in a shootout, killing the perpetrators, the kidnapped driver of a UPS multi-stop truck (which they had carjacked), and a bystander. The crime scene was described as "very complicated" by the FBI special agent in charge.[1] The president of Miami-Dade's police union claimed that at least eleven officers opened fire on the UPS truck in response to the robbers' firing first.[2]

Robbery

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At approximately 4:14 p.m., Lamar Alexander and Ronnie Jerome Hill robbed the jewelry store, Regent Jeweler at Miracle Mile in Coral Gables, Florida.[3] They held the store's cashier at gunpoint and stole diamonds. The two suspects exchanged gunfire with the store owner during the robbery,[4] injuring one jewelry shop worker and hitting nearby Coral Gables City Hall with a stray bullet, causing that building to be placed on lock down.[5][6]

Police were alerted when the store's silent alarm system went off. Ninety seconds later, when officers arrived, the gunmen opened fire on the officers, who then returned fire on the gunmen. The gunmen left in a U-Haul van, which they later ditched in a suburban neighborhood one mile away.[7] The suspects then carjacked a UPS delivery truck at gunpoint and took the driver hostage. The two continued their escape in the UPS truck, heading on Interstate 75 into Broward County.[5]

Shootout

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Several police cars pursued the suspects until the UPS truck became boxed in by slow-moving rush hour traffic in Miramar, about 20 miles (32 km) north of the jewelry store.[8] Police then took cover behind the cars containing bystanders and later claimed the suspects opened fire first;[8] however, the lawyer representing the two innocent victims of the shooting cites witness testimony that the police shot first.[9] A total of nineteen officers fired at the suspects, including thirteen members of the Miami-Dade Police Department. The other six officers were from the Miramar Police Department and the Pembroke Pines Police Department.[10] The pursuit and shootout were broadcast live on television by news helicopters.[8]

Victims

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Four people were killed in the shootout. Both robbery suspects, Lamar Alexander, and Ronnie Jerome Hill, both 41, were killed by police. The hijacked UPS driver, Frank Ordonez, 27, and bystander Richard Cutshaw, 70, were also both killed in the shootout;[6] the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has not released the result of ballistics investigations that would indicate whether Ordonez and Cutshaw were shot by police or robbers.[11][12] A female store employee was shot and wounded in the initial robbery.[7][13]

Response

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The sister of Ordonez expressed her anger that the police responded quickly with gunfire, and did not attempt to negotiate the hostage situation, which she believed caused her brother's death.[13] At a vigil the following year, Ordonez's brother said, "The police murdered my brother on live TV and we all had to watch in horror."[14] Lawsuits were later filed on behalf of Ordonez and Cutshaw, alleging that the police agencies involved had behaved negligently.[15] The litigation stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[15]

Florida Department of Law Enforcement finished their investigation on September 17, 2021, and turned it over to the Broward state attorney’s office.[16] In 2024, four officers were indicted in connection with the shoutout. Their names and charges were not immediately released.[17]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Madrid, Manuel; Cardona, Alexi (December 6, 2019). "Everything We Know About the Miramar Shootout So Far". Miami New Times.
  2. ^ Flechas, Joey; Hanks, Douglas (December 5, 2019). "Robbery suspects, hostage and bystander killed after hijacking, dramatic police chase". Miami Herald.
  3. ^ Stack, Liam; Vigdor, Neil (December 6, 2019). "UPS Driver and Union Official Among 4 Killed in Shootout Outside Miami". New York Times. Archived from the original on 13 February 2023.
  4. ^ Thebault, Reis; Marisa, Iati (December 7, 2019). "Four died in a shootout with police after a UPS truck was hijacked. Could it have been avoided?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 13 February 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  5. ^ a b "UPS Driver, 3 Others Dead After Robbery Ends in Police Pursuit, Shootout". NBC 6 South Florida. December 6, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Details emerge about UPS driver killed in shootout after being taken hostage in police chase". CBS News. December 6, 2019. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  7. ^ a b "Thieves Targeted Diamonds In Coral Gables Robbery That Ended In Deadly Miramar Shootout". CBS Miami. December 5, 2019.
  8. ^ a b c Gomez Licon, Adriana; Spencer, Terry; Anderson, Curt (December 7, 2019). "UPS driver's family questions police response to chase". The Miami Times. Associated Press. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  9. ^ Boryga, Andrew. "Police fired first shots in rush-hour shootout that left four dead, lawyers say". Sun Sentinel. Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  10. ^ Gearty, Robert (December 7, 2019). "South Florida cops in shootout that killed UPS driver, 3 others placed on administrative leave: reports". Fox News. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  11. ^ Spencer, Terry (September 16, 2020). "Family of UPS driver slain in police shootout files lawsuit". Associated Press. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  12. ^ Rabin, Charles; Ovalle, David (December 4, 2020). "A year later, 2 families await answers on deadly police shootout with truck hijackers". Miami Herald. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  13. ^ a b Leibowitz, Aaron; Gross, Samantha; Ovalle, David (December 6, 2019). "After Miramar shootout leaves 4 dead, a community asks: Did police get it right?". The Miami Herald. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  14. ^ Ovalle, David (2020-07-28), "'Murdered on live TV.' Family mourns slain Miami UPS driver, questions police tactics", Miami Herald, retrieved 2021-03-17
  15. ^ a b Neal, David J. (2020-09-16), "Civilian victims in UPS truck shootout sue Miami-Dade police, FHP and 4 other agencies", Miami Herald, retrieved 2021-03-17
  16. ^ Margol, Ian (2021-09-17). "FDLE sends UPS truck shootout case to Broward state attorney". WPLG. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
  17. ^ Aguila, Gretha (June 12, 2024). "Miami-Dade officers indicted in shootout that killed UPS driver, bystander in Broward". Miami Herald. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
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