On Monday, former Broward County, Florida, sheriff Scott Israel, who was suspended by Gov. Ron DeSantis after DeSantis was inaugurated last January, filed paperwork to run for the sheriff’s office again.
Glenna Milberg of WPLG Local 10 broke the story; Israel told WPLG, “I’m out and about. I haven’t stopped campaigning, even post-suspension.” He accused deSantis of playing politics, claiming, “And I know that the Broward County resident, the Broward County voter is full aware that we had a Governor make a promise, a campaign promise to suspend the Sheriff.”
As Twitchy noted, “DeSantis had to win the Florida governor’s race so he could issue an executive order suspending Israel. Israel fought that suspension in court, but in April, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed DeSantis’ right to suspend him.” Two weeks ago Israel appeared before an appeals hearing and said his suspension was politically motivated.
Floridapolitics.com pointed out, “The Senate is now tasked with deciding whether Israel should be permanently removed from the post or reinstated as Sheriff.”
Max Schachter, whose son, Alex, was murdered in the Parkland shooting, was queried as to whether Israel could be elected to the sheriff’s post. He answered, “I don’t know. I certainly hope not. It’s just unbelievable that since Feb. 14 (2018], he continues to refuse to accept any responsibility and show any contrition. And I think the reason is he’s just a narcissist.”
After closing arguments have been made August 19 regarding Israel’s suspension, Special Master Dudley Goodlette will give his recommendations to the state Senate.
Floridapolitics.com added, “Israel’s announcement comes on the same day the Broward Sheriff’s Office had its accreditation revoked by the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation.” Schachter, who serves on the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, agreed with the decision, saying, “I support what the accreditation body did. They’re sending a message that this is not acceptable. And I think that’s what needs to happen.”
As The Daily Wire reported, in October 2017 after the Las Vegas massacre and four months before the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Israel stated to CBS News Miami, “If you have a lone wolf assassin that’s committed to commit great carnage and killing people, there’s really nothing you can do about it.”
In April 2018, two months after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, 534 out of 628 officers in the Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputies Association voted saying they had no confidence in Sheriff Israel. Union President Jeff Bell said that it was the “union’s first vote of no confidence against a sheriff.”
By December 2018, even the left-leaning Orlando Sentinel, which had repeatedly defended Israel after the Parkland shooting, agreed that Sheriff Israel, a Democrat, should be removed from office. In an op-ed, the editors wrote, “[A] community of our size is going to face another tragedy. It’s just a matter of where and when. And if we do not learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it. Given Sheriff Israel’s failure to learn from history — and his failures during our community’s most horrific events — we now stand with those who believe he should be removed and replaced.”
The op-ed added:
After the Stoneman Douglas shooting, the sheriff argued that a general can’t be blamed if a single soldier fails to do his job. He was referring to School Resource Officer Scot Peterson, who failed to pursue the shooter after reporting “shots fired.” The commission’s report says Peterson waited 45 minutes to enter the school and warned others to stay away, too. But Peterson was not alone. While a great many BSO deputies demonstrated bravery that day, far too many showed cowardice, hiding behind trees, cars and walls.