A Florida man 'sitting in his car' was killed in UPS hijacking shootout. His family is calling for an investigation

The family of a bystander who was killed in a Florida shootout between police and robbery suspects is calling for an investigation.

Richard Cutshaw was fatally shot following the pursuit of a hijacked UPS truck on Dec. 5, but his family still does not know whose bullets killed him, an attorney said Tuesday.

Matt Morgan, one of the attorneys representing the Cutshaws, said he is working with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to determine if police followed proper procedures. The Cutshaw family wants to find out how the pursuit escalated into violence that endangered the public, Morgan said at a news conference Tuesday.

“What happened to Richard is a tragedy that no other family should have to bear," the Cutshaw family said in a written statement. "He was sitting in his car on his way from a job he loved, when the intersection around him erupted into a war zone. We cannot make sense of what happened to him; it’s unfathomable."

Hijacked UPS truck: Video shows how shootout unfolded

The incident began with police responding to a robbery at a jewelry store shortly after 4 p.m., police said. Two suspects fired at police, fled and hijacked a UPS truck, taking the driver as a hostage. When the suspects got stuck in rush-hour traffic, they fired at officers approaching the truck, police said.

An FBI official investigates the scene of a shooting, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019, in Miramar, Fla. Four people, including a UPS driver, were killed Thursday after robbers stole the driver’s truck and led police on a chase that ended in gunfire at a busy Florida intersection during rush hour, the FBI said.
An FBI official investigates the scene of a shooting, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019, in Miramar, Fla. Four people, including a UPS driver, were killed Thursday after robbers stole the driver’s truck and led police on a chase that ended in gunfire at a busy Florida intersection during rush hour, the FBI said.

Cutshaw, 70, ended up stuck in the crossfire. About 20 officers from four different agencies discharged their weapons, Morgan said Tuesday, firing some 200 bullets.

Adrian Mendiondo, another attorney representing the family, said Cutshaw's death was not inevitable. He questioned whether police could have ended the pursuit differently to prevent the killing of both Cutshaw and Frank Ordonez, 27, the UPS employee.

“There is not a well-written pursuit policy in this country that doesn’t have termination requirements and recommendations for when what’s happening is causing more danger to the public than it’s preventing," Mendiondo said. "Because, at the end of the day, when police begin a pursuit such as this, especially in a crowded area, especially with civilians nearby, their focus is not just catching the perpetrator but, more importantly, not injuring third parties.”

Mendiondo said he is in contact with the lawyer representing Ordonez. UPS drivers nationwide held a moment of silence last week.

The memorial service for Cutshaw is scheduled for Wednesday, Mendiondo said. He worked as a field representative for the Government Supervisors Association of Florida.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UPS hijacking shootout: Bystander's family calls for investigation