Broward County Sheriff Suspends Deputies Over Triple Homicide

Having just passed the anniversary of the Parkland massacre, we heard an awful lot from the anti-gun crowd. They’re still demanding gun control and seem to think that everything that happened somehow wouldn’t have if we’d just passed a few more laws.

However, we know that the killer had multiple run-ins with the police. The Broward County Sheriff’s Office made multiple trips to the eventual killer’s homes over things like domestic violence, but they did nothing.

It was a law enforcement failure. Maybe not quite the same as Uvalde, but not far from it, either.

And it seems that history repeated itself, only this time, the sheriff’s office is stepping up to take care of business so it won’t happen again.

Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony held a news conference Wednesday afternoon regarding a weekend triple murder case, announcing the suspension of several deputies after he said an internal probe revealed serious shortcomings.

Nathan Gingles, 43, of Lauderhill, is accused of murdering his father-in-law, then his estranged wife and a neighbor on Sunday morning. Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies said he also kidnapped his young daughter — who witnessed the entire killing spree.

Tony said Wednesday that a preliminary probe revealed a “shortcoming of performance,” saying deputies missed opportunities in October and December to intervene in the ongoing domestic violence situation that would cost 34-year-old Mary Gingles and two others their lives.

“It is clear…we fell short on this one,” Tony said during Wednesday’s news conference. He said seven deputies are suspended with pay: a lieutenant, two sergeants and four deputies. “It’s clear that some of the investigative practices conducted by detectives was also a shortfall, and so, as we continue to gather more facts on this, I’m going to end up back in front of this camera.”

I can’t imagine the attorneys for the sheriff’s office are thrilled with him admitting that. Yet this is a case of something being legally dumb but morally right. It might not hurt in the long run since the courts have ruled that police have no duty to protect you, but you have to know that this press conference is going to be the plaintiff’s exhibit one in any lawsuit.

The Broward County Sheriff’s Office dropped the ball once again. People died once again. This time, though, it feels like the sheriff is being far more proactive about dealing with the problem.

That’s good.

However, it’s also a stark reminder that the police won’t necessarily keep you safe. They’re human. In the best of cases, yeah, they do everything right and you’re kept safe and sound. That’s not all of the cases, as this incident clearly shows. They can be careless, stupid, or just simply wrong for the first time on the job.

It doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you’re suddenly vulnerable because the police didn’t act. They didn’t act and there’s no guarantee that they’ll act when it matters most to you and yours.

Don’t count on them having to do everything right. Protect yourself. Get a firearm. Train with it. Learn the self-defense laws in your state. Learn how to protect you and your family while complying with those laws. Have a plan.

If the police do it right, so be it. If they don’t, well, so be it.

Either way, you’re taken care of.