Several other Tampa Bay area legislators joined House Speaker Richard Corcoran’s call for the governor to suspend the Broward sheriff in the wake of shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

TAMPA BAY – Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran has called for Gov. Rick Scott to suspend the Broward sheriff.

“The Florida Constitution gives you the power to suspend a sheriff for ‘malfeasance, misfeasance, neglect of duty [or] incompetence,” Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, wrote in today’s (Feb. 25) letter. “I am requesting that you immediately exercise this power and suspend Sheriff Scott Israel of Broward County for incompetence and neglect of duty.

“The failures of Sheriff Israel during and after the horrific shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feburary 14, 2018, and their failure to intervene regarding Nikolas Jacob Cruz in the years, months and days leading up to the shooting, are unacceptable and unforgivable.”

Corcoran’s letter was co-signed by 73 members of the Florida House of Representatives including several other Tampa Bay legislators. Among them Chris Latvala, Larry Ahern, James Grant and Chris Sprowls from Pinellas. All are Republicans. They were joined by representatives from Hillsborough, Hernando and Pasco counties.

Sprowls posted the letter on his Facebook page, saying, “Today, I joined with over 70 of my House colleagues to request that Gov. Scott take action to suspend Broward Sheriff Scott Israel for dereliction of duty. It is apparent, as we gather more facts from this tragedy, that the BCSO’s failure to act, on at least 23 separate occasions before February 14th, and its inability to properly protect students and teachers during and after the shooting, demands action be taken in an effort to ensure this is something that never happens again.”

Israel has come under fire in recent days after reports that a deputy failed to enter the school during the rampage.

Richard Corcoran | Chris Sprowls | Marjory Stoneman Douglas Shooting | Tampabay News

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