Without a shred of concern for public safety, cops from several South Florida law enforcement agencies opened fire on a UPS truck that had been hijacked by a pair of jewel thieves last year, killing the suspects and the UPS driver as well as another man sitting inside his car.
The shocking incident was live streamed to the world, showing more than a dozen cops hiding behind cars stuck in traffic as they fired more than 200 rounds towards the truck.
The cops, of course, claimed they all feared for their lives because the suspects fired at them as they tried to approach the truck on foot after it had gotten stuck in traffic.
But a lawsuit filed Monday representing the estate of UPS driver Frank Ordonez Jr. claims officers from six law enforcement agencies did everything wrong that day. And judging by the outrage on social media following the shooting, that happens to be a widespread opinion.
Named in the lawsuit is the Miami-Dade Police Department, the Miramar Police Department, the Doral Police Department, the Pembroke Pines Police Department, the Broward Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway.
The main agency involved in the chase was the Miami-Dade Police Department. The Broward Sheriff’s Office issued a statement claiming it was not involved in the shooting.
The lawsuit listed the following examples of how the cops were negligent that day.
a. failing to stop the truck in an area that was not populated by civilians;
b. failing to corral, direct, or otherwise lead the truck away from civilian traffic;
c. failing to evacuate the Miramar Parkway;
d. failing negotiate with the robbers, in an effort to avoid the use of force;
e. failing to communicate with other law enforcement agencies in order to develop and execute a collaborative means of addressing the hostage scenario;
f. failing to allow civilian traffic on the Miramar Parkway from continuing to drive, thereby isolating the truck;
g. incorrectly creating a blockage on the Miramar Parkway, causing the truck to be stopped among civilian vehicles;
h. failing to follow standard police procedures and practices for conducting a vehicular pursuit;
i. incorrectly discharging firearms upon the truck, knowing that civilian cars were around;
j. failing to respond reasonably to gunfire, given that FRANK ORDONEZ was still alive;
k. failing to identify, and specifically locate a target before discharging a firearm;
l. failing to keep distance from the truck in order to decrease tensions;
m. allowing tactics to be implemented that resulted in the escalation of a potentially volatile situation;
n. failing to intervene while officers were aware that fellow law enforcement officers were acting unreasonably;
o. dangerously using vehicles occupied by civilians as shield and/or barricades during a shootout;
p. failing to provide specific aid to civilians trapped in the midst of a shootout;
q. additional acts of negligence not yet discovered.
Read the lawsuit here. Watch the video below.
