The outraged parents of Parkland shooting victims are venting their fury after a special report suggested that suspended Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel be reinstated.
Following the devastating school mass shooting in Parkland, Florida that killed 17, Governor Ron DeSantis suspended Israel from his post in January and hit him with charges of neglect of duty and incompetence for his response to the tragedy.
Nine months after his suspension a special investigator for the Florida Senate recommended Israel get his job back in a report released Wednesday, according to the Sun Sentinel.
The suggestion was a shocking rebuke to Gov. DeSantis and sparked outrage among the relatives of Parkland victims.
‘He failed before that day, he failed during that day, and he clearly failed after that day,’ Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was killed in the devastating shooting, said. ‘The idea he would even have a chance of stepping back into that seat is mind-boggling.’
The parents of Parkland shooting victims are voicing their outrage after a report released Wednesday suggested Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel (above) be reinstated. Israel was suspended in January by Gov. Ron DeSantis and charged with neglect of duty and incompetence for his office’s handling of the shooting
Israel was scrutinized following the shooting for his office’s shooter-response policy and his own deputy’s cowardice as the officer assigned to protect the school ran to take cover when the gunman stormed the campus. Students pictured embracing following the February 2018 Parkland shooting above
In the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida 17 people were killed
‘I feel like someone just punched me in the stomach,’ Lori Alhadeff, whose daughter Alyssa died in the Parkland shooting,’ said to AP.
Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow died in the shooting, tweeted: ‘@GovRonDeSantis did the righteous thing firing the totally incompetent Scott Israel’.
‘His “amazing leadership” let kids get murdered. He tried to get famous on CNN from it. Then he lied again & again. Expected this from Broward voters, not FL Senate judge,’ he added.
Gov. DeSantis also condemned the recommendation in a statement.
‘The victims with families impacted by the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School deserve justice and accountability. Floridians were appalled by Scott Israel’s repeated failures and expect their senators will provide the accountability that the Parkland families have sought for the past year and a half,’ he said.
Israel was scrutinized in the public eye following the shooting for his office’s shooter-response policy and his own deputy’s cowardice as the officer assigned to protect the school ran to take cover when the gunman stormed the campus.
The Wednesday report says DeSantis’ charges against Israel of neglect of duty and incompetence for failing to detect the threat and preventing the shooting do not have standing.
‘He failed before that day, he failed during that day, and he clearly failed after that day,’ Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was killed in the devastating shooting, said
‘I feel like someone just punched me in the stomach,’ Lori Alhadeff, whose daughter Alyssa died in the Parkland shooting, said upon hearing Israel could get his job back
Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow died in the Parkland shooting, also slammed the recommendation, tweeting: ‘@GovRonDeSantis did the righteous thing firing the totally incompetent Scott Israel’
Special Master Dudley Goodlette says there’s no evidence to prove those allegations.
Goodlette acknowledged that the sheriff’s active shooter policy ‘wasn’t ideal’.
‘I cannot agree, however, that the BSO Active Shooter Policy was so deficient that it evidences neglect of duty or incompetence on the part of Sheriff Israel,’ he said noting other Florida law enforcement agencies have similar policies.
He qualified that while Israel isn’t blameless in the Parkland tragedy, the evidence offered at a two-day trial in June didn’t show why it warranted his removal from office, as per NPR.
A state report following the Parkland shooting deemed that Broward County’s Sheriff’s Office had an ‘inadequate active assailant response policy’. A Sheriff’s deputy assigned to the school was also slammed for his ‘abysmal response’ where he ran from the scene to take cover.
That policy didn’t mandate directly engaging with shooters.
‘I’m very humbled and very grateful to God for what happened today,’ Israel said during a news conference Wednesday. ‘I’ve spent a lifetime in law enforcement. I just want to get back to doing what I was elected to do’
The recommendation was a powerful rebuke to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ charges
Gov. DeSantis tweeted Wednesday saying: ‘I disagree with the analysis contained in the non-binding recommendation’
Lawmakers will decide whether to follow up on this recommendation and reinstate Israel or uphold the suspension and fire him in a special session next month.
On Wednesday Israel praised Goodlette and the Senate for the ‘fair process.’
‘I’m very humbled and very grateful to God for what happened today,’ Israel said during a news conference. ‘I’ve spent a lifetime in law enforcement. I just want to get back to doing what I was elected to do.’
Israel, a Democrat elected in 2012, has been embroiled in other controversies before Parkland. He came under fire for his office’s handling of a deadly 201 shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport where a passenger opened fire and killed five.
Then the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting broke out in Parkland, killing 17 in February 2018.