If Deputy Didn't Have the Heart to Go In, That's Not My Responsibility, Says Broward County Sheriff

Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel told a reporter that his deputy failing to enter the school while the shooting was in progress was not his responsibility.

“I gave him a gun. I gave him a badge. I gave him the training,” Sheriff Israel told an NBC6 South Florida reporter in a video interview tweeted by Erika Glover. “If he didn’t have the heart to go in, that’s not my responsibility.”

His interview with the local NBC affiliate comes after the sheriff fell under increasing scrutiny for his department’s handling of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that left 17 people dead.

Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran called on Governor Rick Scott to suspend Sheriff Israel “for incompetence,” Breitbart News’s Jeff Poor reported. The speaker sent a letter to the governor that 73 House members joined him in signing. The Florida Constitution provides the governor with the authority to “suspend from office any state officer not subject to impeachment, any officer of the militia not in the active service of the United States, or any county officer, for malfeasance, misfeasance, neglect of duty, drunkenness, incompetence, permanent inability to perform official duties, or commission of a felony, and may fill the office by appointment for the period of suspension.”  Sheriffs are covered by this provision.

Kyle Kashuv, one of the students who survived the attack, told Fox News Sunday that Sheriff Israel should resign, Breitbart News’ Pam Key reported.  “He absolutely needs to resign,” Kashuv said. “He failed to act on so many different levels. And he himself is responsible for this massive failure. This could have been stopped by the FBI, and the sheriff’s department had they acted.”

Adam Baldwin responded to the sheriff’s interview, saying, “#TheBuckStopsOverThere.”

A Twitter user, @Psychic2009, tweeted, “Obviously Sheriff Scott Israel never speent any time in the military. The buck stops with you. RESIGN!”

“Leaders are responsible for the agency,” the sheriff continued in the interview. “But leaders are not responsible for a person.”

To that, Esdras Garcia responded in a tweet, “A good leader Leads when things are good but will also lead when things are bad. As their boss you are ultimately responsible for their actions whether they are good or bad.”

Juanita Broaddrick joined the chorus of calls for the sheriff’s resignation.

Former Congressman and conservative radio talk show host Joe Walsh also weighed in.

Protesters in Broward County are also joining the calls for the sheriff to resign, @_Makada_, a conservative writer for @American_Mirror tweeted.

Sheriff Israel stood up to the calls for his resignation, telling the CNN’s Jake Tapper, “I’ve given amazing leadership to this agency.”

“Of course I won’t resign,” the sheriff stated.