We witnessed a deadly tragedy unfold Thursday afternoon when live television cameras captured a dramatic shootout in Miramar, Fla. — at the height of rush hour — among a swarm of police officers and a pair of armed robbers who had earlier commandeered a United Parcel Service truck and taken its driver hostage after a brazen attempted heist of a Coral Gables, Fla., jewelry store.
We have since learned that the armed robbers were killed during the exchange of gunfire at the intersection of Miramar Parkway and Flamingo Road, where dozens of motorists were stopped at a traffic light and suddenly thrust into a violent crime scene.
Sadly, we learned that the 27-year-old UPS driver, Frank Ordonez, and an unidentified motorist who just happened to be stuck in traffic during the shootout were also killed. Ordonez was the father of two young daughters.
In the aftermath of this horrific crime, which drew the attention of the nation’s major TV news networks, we have many questions that the FBI and other law enforcement authorities need to answer. The FBI is leading the investigation that includes officers from police departments in Coral Gables, Pembroke Pines, Fla., and Miramar.
Why were police officers ordered to fire their weapons at the gunmen inside the UPS truck with the UPS driver being held as a hostage? Did the gunmen fire first?
What policies are police supposed to follow in using deadly force involving potentially innocent bystanders? Or during a hostage situation?
Why endanger so many innocent motorists? Should police have set up a blockade by clearing the traffic-clogged intersection of all other cars and trucks?
Did police follow proper pursuit policies in chasing down the gunmen aboard the UPS truck?
Who killed the UPS driver and the innocent motorists? Were the bullets fired from the gunmen’s weapons or from police officers?
We are not rushing to judgment here. We are simply asking questions.
The armed robbers are obviously to blame for their actions in their decision to carry out the jewelry store heist, for cowardly taking hostage the UPS driver and for trying to foolishly escape authorities.
The Sun Sentinel reported Friday that the two alleged gunmen — Lamar Alexander, 41, and Ronnie Hill, 41 — had extensive criminal records and had both been released from state prison in 2017.
But police must be held accountable for their actions and decisions. After all, they are there to protect and serve the public.
Joe Merino, the stepfather of the UPS driver, told WPLG-10 on Friday that he believed his stepson’s death could have been prevented if police had used other tactics to apprehend the gunmen.
“Where was protocol? Where was SWAT? Where was the hostage negotiator? Where was the sniper?” he said. “They shot him dead!
“They murdered him,” he said. “I hope you can understand that and how I feel because it could have been prevented.”
These are legitimate questions, along with many others.
FBI Special Agent George Piro has acknowledged to reporters that “there are a lot of questions that are unanswered.”
Merino and the rest of the public need to hear those answers.
We urge the FBI and other law enforcement authorities to be fully transparent in its investigation and findings.
— Sun Sentinel