An internal email obtained by Fox News’s Laura Ingraham shows the Broward County Sheriff’s Office told deputies to defend Sheriff Scott Israel in the wake of a “flurry of media allegations … and a personal attack.”
"He stood with us, and now we must stand with him," the email states. “It’s important that they know we “stand as one” during this difficult time.”
Letter from the Broward County Sheriff's Office obtained by @FoxNews' @IngrahamAngle urges employees to vigorously defend embattled Sheriff Scott Israel. pic.twitter.com/slQ9RCefsc
— Debra Heine (@NiceDeb) February 27, 2018
The message to deputies comes after calls for Israel’s suspension and resignation after the Florida high school shooting on February 14 that left 17 people dead. Critics, including lawmakers and survivors, charge that the sheriff failed to act on many levels to prevent the shooting. Additionally, several of his officers did not enter the school during the attack.
Israel defended himself from accusations he’s responsible for the actions of Scot Peterson, who was tasked with protecting the school but instead hid behind a concrete column for four minutes as the shooting took place.
"I gave him a gun. I gave him a badge. I gave him the training. If he didn't have the heart to go in, that's not my responsibility,” Israel said.
Ingraham was disturbed by the email to deputies, arguing that "the focus should be on getting to the bottom of what happened leading up to the shooting, not some CYA deal for the sheriff . We need to know about the actions of law enforcement on the day of the shooting -- [it] shouldn't be about saving Sheriff Israel's job because that would be really pathetic."