According to the sheriff, three deaths could have been avoided if the deputies had taken certain procedures. He stated that some individuals might lose their jobs as a result of this.
This week, the sheriff made harsh comments about the work of seven deputies at a South Florida sheriff's office, putting them on administrative leave for a "multitude of shortcomings" in a domestic violence case that resulted in three deaths.
This week, the sheriff made harsh comments about the work of seven deputies at a South Florida sheriff's office, putting them on administrative leave for a "multitude of shortcomings" in a domestic violence case that resulted in three deaths.
At a news conference on Wednesday, Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony admitted to the case's mismanagement involving Tamarac, Florida resident Mary Gingles and her divorced husband Nathan Gingles. Along with Ms. Gingles's father and a neighbor, Mr. Gingles, 43, is charged with shooting her to death. According to a police report, he is charged with three counts of first-degree murder with a firearm.
During the press conference, Sheriff Tony stated, "We failed on this one." He went on to say, "Some people will lose their jobs because of this."
According to Sheriff Tony, four deputy cops, two sergeants, and one lieutenant were among the officers put on leave. They were not named.
According to Sheriff Tony, four deputy cops, two sergeants, and one lieutenant were among the officers put on leave. They were not named.
The sheriff claimed that the shortcomings in this case began more than a year ago, citing multiple unanswered calls that may have stopped Mr. Gingles from keeping his guns, which Sheriff Tony claimed could have been seized. However, it seems that the calls were not followed up on: According to the police investigation, a gun thought to have been used in the Sunday killings was found in a nearby canal.
Furthermore, Ms. Gingles informed a deputy in December that she feared her husband would murder her, supplying information that indicated Mr. Gingles posed a genuine threat, according to the sheriff. However, he claimed that the deputy did nothing about the report.
Sheriff Tony remarked, "There was enough there where we could have potentially pursued probable-cause affidavit so we can arrest him and take him off the street, and that didn't happen."
The sheriff made it clear that the mishandling was not caused by flaws in the equipment, training, policies, or processes. He instead blamed the deputies' poor performance, "complacency, and people not doing their due diligence," for the failings.
Requests for comment from the Broward Sheriff's Office Professional Association, a police union, were not answered on Saturday. Whether Mr. Gingles had legal counsel was unclear.
Requests for comment from the Broward Sheriff's Office Professional Association, a police union, were not answered on Saturday. Whether Mr. Gingles had legal counsel was unclear.
According to the police report, Ms. Gingles's 4-year-old daughter was the subject of a national Amber Alert on the day of the shootings and was later discovered in the neighboring city of North Lauderdale with Mr. Gingles.
The sheriff's office in Broward County, which has over two million residents and is among the largest in Florida, has been embroiled in controversy on multiple occasions in recent years. 17 of its deputies were accused of cheating government lending programs out of around $500,000 in 2023. Businesses that were having trouble during the coronavirus pandemic were supposed to benefit from the programs.
The sheriff's office in Broward County, which has over two million residents and is among the largest in Florida, has been embroiled in controversy on multiple occasions in recent years. 17 of its deputies were accused of cheating government lending programs out of around $500,000 in 2023. Businesses that were having trouble during the coronavirus pandemic were supposed to benefit from the programs.
Police agencies in the United States are facing mounting pressure to not only retain accountability but also to act swiftly and openly in order to preserve the faith and trust of their communities in the wake of the George Floyd demonstrations in 2020 and other high-profile examples of police wrongdoing.
Sheriff Tony stated that the news conference on Wednesday was an attempt to increase transparency and to "ensure this community continues to trust us and know that when we get this stuff wrong, people are going to be held accountable."
"Having to stand here and watch this and know that we are an organization that has faced its challenges is really frustrating for me," he remarked.
"Having to stand here and watch this and know that we are an organization that has faced its challenges is really frustrating for me," he remarked.
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