Under Pressure, Florida Sheriff Defends ‘Amazing Leadership’
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Original Article | Author: Patricia Mazzei
MIAMI — Facing mounting questions on Sunday over how his officers handled a mass shooting in a high school, Sheriff Scott Israel of Broward County, Fla., defended his actions as “amazing leadership.”
Sheriff Israel, a Democrat in an elected post, said he would not resign over the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, which left 17 people dead. His current term runs through 2020.
On Sunday, the speaker of the Florida House of Representatives and dozens of other Republican lawmakers called on Gov. Rick Scott, also a Republican, to use his authority to suspend the sheriff from office.
The governor’s office announced on Sunday that state officials would conduct an investigation of the law enforcement response to the shooting. The Broward County Sheriff’s office said it welcomed the governor’s move and would cooperate with the investigation.
In a tense interview on CNN on Sunday, Sheriff Israel said he should not be held responsible for the armed deputy assigned to the school, who failed to enter the building while the shooting was in progress on Feb. 14.
“Deputies make mistakes,” the sheriff said on the program, “State of the Union.” “Police officers make mistakes. But it’s not the responsibility of a general or the president if you have a deserter.” Sheriff Israel added: “you don’t measure a person’s leadership by a deputy not going in.”
“I’ve given amazing leadership to this agency,” he said.
