Florida Sheriff Puts 7 Deputies on Leave After Domestic Violence Case Turns Deadly

The sheriff said the deputies failed to take actions that could have prevented three deaths. “There will be people that will lose their job over this,” he said.

Seven deputies at a South Florida sheriff’s office were placed on administrative leave after a “multitude of shortcomings” in a domestic violence case that led to three deaths, the sheriff said this week, making scathing remarks about the deputies’ performance.

Sheriff Gregory Tony of Broward County acknowledged at a news conference on Wednesday the mishandling of the case involving Mary Gingles of Tamarac, Fla., and Nathan Gingles, her estranged husband. Mr. Gingles, 43, is accused of fatally shooting her, as well as Ms. Gingles’s father and a neighbor. He faces three counts of first-degree murder with a firearm, among other charges, according to a police report.

“We fell short on this one,” said Sheriff Tony during the news conference. “There will be people that will lose their job over this,” he added.

Sheriff Tony said the officers who were placed on leave included one lieutenant, two sergeants and four deputy officers. They were not identified.

The failures in this case date back to over a year ago, the sheriff said, pointing to several calls that were overlooked and could have prevented Mr. Gingles from keeping his firearms, which Sheriff Tony said could have been impounded. But it appears there was no follow-up to the calls: A firearm believed to be used in the killings, which happened on Sunday, was recovered from a nearby canal, according to the police report.

In December, Ms. Gingles also told a deputy that she was afraid her husband would kill her, providing details that suggested Mr. Gingles was a real threat, the sheriff said. But the deputy failed to act on the report, he said.