TAMARAC, Fla. — Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony on Friday called some deputies “cowards” or “incompetent” in their handling of the Feb. 16 Tamarac triple homicide, in which 43-year-old Nathan Gingles is accused of killing his estranged wife, her father, and a neighbor.
Following an administrative investigation, Tony said six deputies have been relieved of duty, and another 11 have received discipline for either their roles in investigating the crimes Mary reported or for the tactical response to the shooting.
The six employees who were terminated were identified as Sgt. Travis Allen, Deputy Brittney King, Deputy Daniel Munoz, Deputy Lemar Blackwood, Deputy Eric Klisiak and Sgt. Devoune Williams.
Tony also confirmed that Deputies Dia Cross, Eric Baldy, Daniel Lovallo and Daimeon Nelson were placed on 10-day suspensions. Deputy Sophie Roggs had her suspension increased from five to 15 days and was placed on criminal training, while Deputy Ilany Cebalos received a five-day suspension as a result of the investigation.
Additionally, Tony said allegations were not sustained against two employees.
“We wanted to make sure that every individual is held accountable,” Tony said during Friday’s news conference. “We had a chance to save their loved one’s life and we failed.”
Authorities say Nathan Gingles, of Lauderhill, stalked his estranged wife, Mary Gingles, before fatally shooting her father, 64-year-old David Ponzer, and neighbor, 36-year-old Andrew Ferrin. Court records show Mary had obtained a restraining order and repeatedly reported threats to BSO deputies in the weeks leading up to the killings.
The investigation found that deputies were inside their vehicles for more than 20 minutes after the initial “shots fired” call before approaching the scene. A neighbor who called 911 reported hearing multiple gunshots and a woman screaming, “Oh my God!”
According to an arrest warrant, deputies later found Ponzer dead in his backyard, clutching a coffee cup and lighter. Investigators say Nathan Gingles shot him in the head while he sat drinking coffee. Mary Gingles, 34, witnessed the shooting and ran, investigators said, before her husband chased her down the street.
Tony said prior to the conclusion of the internal affairs investigation, the captain of BSO’s Tamarac District was demoted to deputy and placed on probation. Later, he was dismissed for failing to meet probationary standards. A trainee deputy who responded to the shooting call while on probation was also dismissed for failing to meet probationary standards.
“It is painful to say this, but it is the truth — we failed Mary Gingles, David Ponzer and Andrew Ferrin. I am heartbroken by their deaths, and I am sorry that we didn’t do what we should have done to protect them,” Tony said during Friday’s news conference.
“Once I learned of the potential failures in this case, I instructed our Internal Affairs Unit to conduct an exhaustive investigation and to follow the evidence wherever it led and to whomever was responsible,” he added. “This is the only way that BSO can continue to grow as an agency and to maintain the public’s trust. Once IA briefed me on their findings, I was determined to hold these employees accountable for their failures.”
Further, the investigation revealed that on Feb. 16, once deputies received the report of a shooting in progress, the sergeant overseeing the call instructed responding deputies to meet at a rally point prior to responding to the shooting.
Tony said that decision violated BSO’s Active Shooter policy, which states deputies must attempt to protect the life of innocent persons through immediate tactical intervention.
“The public needs to know that our training is clear — responding deputies must move toward the gunfire and deal with the threat. Period. There’s no staging. There’s no rally point. There’s no ambiguity. In an active shooter situation, seconds matter. They’re the difference between life and death,” Tony added. “I promise this community and the families of Mary Gingles, David Ponzer and Andrew Ferrin that we will learn from these failures. Their deaths will not be in vain.”
The review included 47 sworn statements from BSO employees as well as hours of surveillance and neighborhood video evidence. Tony emphasized that while deputies had received crisis response training, the agency must “reinvest in his team” to prevent similar failures.
Nathan Gingles, a U.S. military veteran, was arrested after a tense standoff, during which deputies said he was seen walking with his barefoot 4-year-old daughter, Seraphine. Detectives believe the child witnessed the shootings.
Body camera footage obtained by Local 10 News in April shows him being taken down and arrested by Broward deputies at the Walmart at 7900 W. McNab Road in North Lauderdale on Feb. 16. He was with Seraphine at the time of his arrest.
“Don’t you f---ing move, dude,” a BSO deputy tells Gingles in the video. “You are going to get shot.”
Tony said he spoke with the victims’ families Thursday and told them the department takes full responsibility for the deaths of their loved ones.
“This was not an organizational or administrational failure,” Tony said. “This is about making sure we improve and reinvest in our people.”
“I accept accountability. I’m here to bear the responsibility of what goes wrong,” he added. “This is really bothersome for me. Either they were incompetent at the moment or just cowards. I can assure you that moving forward, we will be better.”
Nathan Gingles remains held in the Broward County Main Jail on three counts of first-degree murder, kidnapping and other charges. His trial date has not yet been set.
Broward County prosecutors said in March they would seek the death penalty for Nathan Gingles.
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