A Florida Senate special master has recommended the former sheriff who was suspended for his department’s bungled response to the Parkland high school massacre should be reinstated, according to a new report.
In a report released Wednesday, special master Dudley Goodlette determined that Gov. Ron DeSantis failed to prove the charges in his suspension order against former Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, according to the Sun-Sentinel.
DeSantis suspended Israel in January, citing “neglect of duty” and “incompetence” related to the Feb. 14, 2018, mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 people and a Jan. 6, 2017, shooting at the Fort Lauderdale airport that left five people dead.
The state Senate is set to decide whether to reinstate Israel in a special session in October.
Israel’s attorney Benedict Kuehne on Wednesday praised Goodlette for his recommendation.
“It certainly is a commendable and very valid recommendation of the special master, having carefully reviewed all of the evidence presented. We are heartened that the rule of law continues to dominate in Florida, and we will be asking the Senate to respect the decision of the special master made after full and fair consideration, and allow the people of Broward County to continue with their elected sheriff,” Kuehne told the news outlet.
He said Israel was “gratified” with the recommendation and that the suspended sheriff “always believed” during the trial conducted this year by Goodlette that the special master was “giving full and fair consideration to every argument and fact.”
Kuehne added that Israel “was hopeful his trust in the legal system has been validated, and he hopes to have the opportunity to have the Senate understand that he has always lived his life as a law enforcement officer to act to protect the citizenry, the people, and he will continue to do that if given the opportunity.”
Israel and his lawyer have both argued that the suspension was politically motivated, claiming that DeSantis was acting on behalf of the NRA to blame law enforcement for the Parkland shooting instead of gun violence.
Several deputies were fired for neglect of duty in connection with the school shooting, including school resource officer Scot Peterson, who was the first armed law enforcement officer at the scene, yet stood in place outside the building for 48 minutes.
He faces 10 charges of failing to confront confessed killer Nikolas Cruz, child neglect, culpable negligence and perjury.