FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) -The Florida sheriff who was suspended for his office’s handling of a Feb. 14 school massacre says he’s fighting the suspension.
Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said Friday that, “There was no wrongdoing on my part. I served the county honorably.”
His statement came minutes after the state’s new governor, Ron DeSantis, announced he was suspending Israel. DeSantis said Israel “failed in his duties to keep our families and children safe during the devastating shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.” DeSantis also cited the Broward County sheriff’s response to a 2017 mass shooting at Fort Lauderdale International Airport.
DeSantis’ Republican predecessor, now-U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, had refused to suspend Israel, saying he wanted to wait until investigations into the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that left 17 dead were complete before deciding.
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