Florida Gov Suspends Sheriff Over Parkland Response

The Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel reports:

Gov. Ron DeSantis removed Broward Sheriff Scott Israel from office Friday, replacing him after 10 months of turmoil spawned by the slaughter of 17 staff and students in Parkland. The governor replaced Israel with former Coral Springs Police Sgt. Gregory Tony, 40, who has a background in active-shooter training and becomes the first black sheriff in Broward County’s history.

DeSantis announced the suspension from the Broward Sheriff’s Office headquarters while the displaced former sheriff prepared his response from a church in northwest Fort Lauderdale. “I have no interest in dancing on Scott Israel’s political grave,” DeSantis said, “but suffice it to say the massacre might never have happened had Broward had better leadership in the sheriff’s department.”

Right wingers have long howled for Israel scalp, blaming his alleged incompetence for the massacre and not, of course, the easy availability of assault rifles. DeSantis was elected, in part, to do what he just did.

BREAKING: New Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issues order suspending Broward Co. Sheriff Scott Israel effective immediately; accuses him of “repeated incompetence and neglect of duty;” cites 2017 Ft. Lauderdale airport and 2018 Parkland school mass shootings.

— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 11, 2019