A former sheriff suspended over his office’s response to the Parkland, Fla. high school shooting is looking to get his old job back, CBS News reports.
Scott Israel, who was suspended in January, reportedly filed paperwork on Monday to run for reelection as Broward County sheriff in the 2020 Democratic primary.
“I want to get back to working with the incredible men and women of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office,” Israel said, according to CBS. “I want to get back to my communities.”{mosads}
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced Israel’s suspension in January, nearly one year after a gunman charged Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and killed 17 people.
Israel was suspended for “repeated failures, incompetence and neglect of duty,” as well as his “pattern of poor leadership,” DeSantis said.
“Our training was industry-standard training,” Israel told CBS. “The same training as many other sheriffs and police departments.”
The former sheriff faced backlash over reports that his office received 18 tips about the suspect before the massacre, and that deputies did not confront the shooter during the attack.
Two Broward County deputies were fired after the shooting, and the department lost its accreditation in the aftermath of the incident.
Sheriff Gregory Tony, who replaced Israel, plans to run again in 2020, CBS reports.