BROWARD SHERIFF'S OFFICE

A BSO deputy pays his bond and gets out of jail on a few conditions after he's charged with soliciting sex from a teenager girl he met, according to BSO, while responding to a call.

A relief bill for a BSO deputy shot in the line of duty would provide compensation but it's been hung up over a legal technicality in the past. New wording might fix that.

The Pembroke Pines GameStop employee who was arrested after he fatally shot a suspected shoplifter left the Broward County Jail Thursday after posting a $25,000 bond.

Five of 17 Broward Sheriff’s Office employees suspected of fraudulently applying for and receiving Paycheck Protection Program loans appeared in court Thursday to be arraigned on federal charges.

17 deputies and detention deputies with BSO left the federal courthouse after being indicted on charges that include wire fraud related to the COVID relief fund program. And there may be more arrests on the horizon.

Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony is expected to join federal law enforcement officials Thursday for a news conference announcing the arrests of multiple Broward Sheriff’s Office employees suspected of fraudulently applying for and receiving Paycheck Protection Program loans.

Multiple sources have now confirmed that at least 40 Broward Sheriff’s Office employees are now part of a federal investigation.

Rapper Jamell “YNW Melly” Demons was in court on Wednesday for a hearing in Broward County.

Broward County deputies released new video Tuesday of a vehicle believed to be connected to a deadly shooting near the Oakland Park Flea Market last month.

A Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue paramedic hurt in a deadly helicopter crash in Pompano Beach is scheduled to hold a news conference Friday afternoon.

The funeral for Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Terryson Jackson is being held Friday at The Faith Center in Sunrise.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office has offered to pay for the funeral of 65-year-old Lurean Wheaton, who was killed last week when a Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue helicopter crashed into her apartment building in Pompano Beach, but her family has declined the agency’s offer, Local 10 News learned Wednesday.

Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Mindy S. Glazer was confused on Tuesday when a teenage boy appeared in her courtroom where adults appear for bond hearings after their arrest.

A 33-year-old woman was at the Paul Rein Detention Facility on Friday night in Pompano Beach, as she faced 20 charges in Broward County.

A 24-year-old Margate man pretended to be in law enforcement at a restaurant, a hospital, and in front of officers, according to police.

911 callers report seeing a helicopter on fire in the sky in Pompano Beach.

The BSO Air Rescue helicopter was responding to the scene of a driver who lost control of the Ford Mustang he was driving and hit a mother and her 4-year-old boy. It never made it after catching fire and crashing.

Family members are mourning the loss of a woman who was killed when a helicopter crashed into her Pompano Beach apartment building on Monday.

New video shows the aftermath of Monday’s deadly Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue helicopter crash in Pompano Beach after the chopper crashed down onto an apartment building, killing two people.

A Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue helicopter fell from the sky in a fiery crash on Monday morning, killing two people and injuring four others.

A fire captain who died when a BSO Fire Rescue and Emergency Services helicopter went down had been with the agency for 19 years.

As recently as June, BSO sheriff talked about aging fleet in budget workshop.

A Broward Sheriff’s Office Fire Rescue helicopter crashed into an apartment building in Pompano Beach Monday morning, killing two people and injuring four others, authorities confirmed.

A 43-year-old U.S. Virgin Islands man, who has a snake tattoo on his chest, was at the Broward County main jail on Wednesday accused of trying to kill someone.

Broward Sheriff's Office is searching for a man in a pick-up truck who they say attempted to kidnap a woman and sexually assaulted her.

Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony and Peter Licata, Broward County Public Schools’ new superintendent, are relying on many of the lessons learned after the 2018 Valentine’s Day massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland to improve on-campus security.

Phybian Walker is a wanted fugitive, deputies said Wednesday. Police officers arrested Walker for robbery at about 4:30 a.m., on Sunday, in Lauderhill. Walker was able to escape after police officers interviewed him, according to deputies.

Florida rapper YNW Melly left a trail of photographs, videos, and messages that a Broward Sheriff’s Office detective said were evidence of gang affiliation.

Sheriff's Foundation of Broward County cycling from Weston to Naples to raise money

The family of a 32-year-old man was grieving on Monday in Broward County, as they prepared to attend a vigil on Wednesday night in Pompano Beach.

Doctors released a group of minors who were in the hospital for checkups after Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies evacuated a home, according to a deputy’s update on Friday morning.

Another shooting turned deadly on Friday morning in northwestern Broward County.

Detectives announced there is an ongoing search for a man Thursday afternoon who they accused of recently using a stolen credit card in Broward County.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office released a photo on Wednesday of a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee that was involved in a recent Pompano Beach double homicide.

Deputies locked down a public school for a few hours on Tuesday in Broward County to conduct a search and an investigation after a student’s report.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office released video Monday that shows five men being rescued at sea last month after their boat submerged.

A 23-year-old man was convicted on Wednesday in Miami federal court for his role in a 2015 fatal gang robbery in Broward County.

A Florida Highway Patrol trooper found a person dead next to a vehicle on Thursday morning in Broward County.

Broward Sheriff’s Office detectives continued their search for the body of a woman whose relatives said vanished before she could file an emergency restraining order against her husband.

Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer sentenced the Parkland school shooter to 34 consecutive mandatory life sentences in prison without the possibility of parole. One for each of the 34 victims: 17 killed and 17 injured.

Deputies detained two people after a bogus bomb threat on Friday night at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

A group of Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies stood at the entrance of a public school during a lockdown on Friday in Pompano Beach.

Deputies blocked off a two-block stretch along U.S. 1 in Dania Beach Thursday morning after it appears a car hit a pedestrian.

A Broward Sheriff’s Office detention deputy will not serve jail time or probation despite being found guilty of repeatedly striking an inmate’s hands and fingers with a flashlight, a judge ruled on Wednesday.

Deputies and police officers are dealing with a “bomb threat” on Tuesday at the City College in Hollywood, police said.

Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies evacuated an area near the Pompano Beach Beach Pier while a bomb squad examined a suspicious device on Friday afternoon.

After a 53-year-old woman vanished in May in Pompano Beach, her family is still waiting for authorities to find her remains, so they can hold a funeral.

The family of a mentally ill inmate who died after an altercation with Broward County detention officers in 2021 gathered in front of Broward County commissioners Tuesday, asking them to push BSO and the courts to release video of the incident to the public.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office is investigating an apparent stabbing Monday morning in Pembroke Park.

After an investigation by multiple agencies and the Broward State Attorney, the Broward Sheriff's Office has concluded the investigation into the death of an inmate who died while in custody, according to BSO.

A teenage girl testified on Tuesday in Broward County court about the day a deputy used force to knock her to the ground on Sept. 25, 2019, while at Cross Creek School, a therapeutic day school in Pompano Beach.

A jury saw the surveillance video that cost a Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy his job. It showed the deputy punching Kyle Paul while he was in handcuffs.

Detectives said Vladimir Saint Pierre was last seen at approximately 4 p.m. on Saturday near the 6900 block of Southwest 16th Court in North Lauderdale.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office said after a call for a shooting came in at 4:38 p.m., they showed up and found two men suffering from gunshot wounds.

A Broward Sheriff's Office deputy used excessive force, the top cop said. Now, that veteran deputy is out of a job.

A longtime WPLG engineer has been fired and is under criminal investigation after allegedly recording videos of other employees in private settings without their consent.

Three deputies from the Broward Sheriff’s Office were hospitalized following a two-vehicle crash in Pompano Beach on Saturday.

Rabbi Beryl Zweibel calls it “nonsense” that the Broward Sheriff’s Office cited security as a reason he was forced to take off his yarmulke when booked in jail last year.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office is searching for a gunman who they say was spotted during a shooting and then exchanged gunfire with deputies on Christmas night.

Detectives are investigating a shooting on Monday in Pompano Beach.

A man accused of whipping out a gun while stealing a bicycle from Walmart is behind bars — and investigators credit the public’s help for catching him.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office held a ceremony for a therapy dog on Tuesday at Weston City Hall.

The Broward Sheriff's Office is welcoming a new K-9 addition to their force this week, meant to provide comfort and emotional support for the community.

A 68-year-old man hasn't been seen since Nov. 4, according to Broward Sheriff's missing persons unit.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office has released surveillance video of a shooting that occurred in late October in Pompano Beach, in hopes of apprehending two suspects.

A drive-by shooting in North Lauderdale led to several schools being placed on lockdown Tuesday, authorities confirmed.

A Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy was involved in a crash Thursday morning at the intersection of State Road 7 and Hollywood Boulevard, authorities confirm.

After a shooting scared people attending the Piper-Fort Lauderdale high school football game on Sept. 30, officials are implementing a new security protocol.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office has begun a homicide investigation after a body was found on the shoulder of I-595 near Hiatus Road early Friday morning.

Police are searching for a man who posed as a Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy before burglarizing a woman’s home in Tamarac.

The former school resource officer accused of hiding during a South Florida school shooting that left 17 people dead says he never would have sat idle if he had known people were being killed.

A 52-year-old Coral Springs man faces a second-degree murder charge after authorities say he shot another man dead in a road rage dispute Wednesday morning.

The K-9 Unit of the Broward Sheriff's Office is not a one-size-fits-all unit. There are actually different types of K-9s trained to carry out specific functions across several divisions and departments at BSO.

The town of Pembroke Park will have its own police department after decades of being patroled by the Broward Sheriff's Office.

Broward Sheriff's Office homicide detectives say they have arrested two teens for the murder of a woman found dead inside a Dania Beach hotel.

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Two new fur-ociously adorable Broward Sheriff’s Office bloodhounds have been selected to join the police force and pick up the scent of missing and endangered people in Broward County. According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, K-9s Ryley and Bluey are undergoing extensive training to be able to search for the most vulnerable missing people in the county — children, the elderly, people with special needs, and people with mental illnesses. The bloodhounds need six months of training before they’ll be eligible to be certified by the National Police Bloodhound Association. Deputy Jarvey Mesina-Berman will be partnered with Ryley, and Deputy Tony Sun will be partnered with Bluey. Ryley and Bluey were donated to the Broward Sheriff’s Office through the Jimmy Ryce Center for Victims of Predatory Abduction, which is named for the boy who was murdered in Miami-Dade County in 1995.

Kevin Desir died Jan. 27 while in custody of the Broward Sheriff's Office. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Broward County State Attorney Harold F. Pryor sent a letter to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on Thursday requesting an independent investigation into the death of a 43-year-old inmate. Kevin Lavira Desir was arrested Jan. 13 on charges of marijuana possession and criminal mischief. There was a clash with deputies that left him unconscious on Jan. 17 and he died on Jan. 27 at the hospital. Desir’s family wants BSO to allow an independent investigation.

WESTON, Fla. – The family of the suspect in custody for the abduction, assault and rape of a Cleveland Clinic healthcare worker released a statement Sunday. A statement was released Sunday on behalf of the family, which read:“The family’s thoughts and prayers are currently with the victim, the victim’s family, and with Joel. They would like to thank the Broward Sheriff’s Office, Det. The family has no other comment at this time.”The carjacking happened at the Weston hospital campus parking lot at 2950 Cleveland Clinic Boulevard around 7:30 a.m. Saturday. A Sunpass camera captured this photo of the suspect who Broward Sheriff's Office investigators are looking for who they say abducted and raped a healthcare worker from the Cleveland Clinic in Weston.

TAMARAC, Fla. – After calling 911, a 70-year-old Broward County resident pulled out a handgun and eventually scared off a man trying to break into his house. Now, he and his neighbors are wondering why Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies didn’t respond. Norkunas spent nearly 15 minutes on the phone with 911 dispatchers — naked, on crutches and with a gun pointed at that suspect. BSO sent Local 10 News a statement saying that a thorough review of their response to the incident is ongoing. The Broward Sheriff’s Office responds to tens of thousands of calls for service each year.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A woman who gave birth inside a Broward jail cell should have been released days before she had her baby under a pre-trial program, according to a letter written by Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony sent to the Broward Public Defender’s office. North Broward inmate 28-year-old Stephanie Bretas delivered her baby boy last month in a jail cell. (See the complete letter below)Tony wrote: “On Sept. 24, 3 days prior to Ms. Bretas giving birth, your office obtained an order to release her under the supervision of the Broward Sheriff’s Office Pretrial program. The sheriff said he does share Weekes' concerns about the treatment that inmates are receiving in jail. There’s now a law named after Tammy Jackson, who also delivered a baby in a Broward jail cell in April of last year.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – “People on the street are crying for justice, for fairness, for transparency,” Broward County Mayor Dale Holness says. And in response to those cries for racial justice and police reform, county commissioners met Tuesday to create a criminal justice review board made up of 23 members of the community. “We’re not just looking at policing and police abuse, but also the whole criminal justice system,” Holness said. What happens when someone goes before a judge?”At Tuesday’s county commission meeting, the proposal for a board was hashed out. Most of the time in chambers was spent debating who would be allowed to sit on this review board to look at cases and come up with changes.

Gregory LaCerraThose attorneys argue that Rolle — the only witness called by prosecutors — was an instigator and that the charges against the deputies should be dismissed by the judge under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law. “The case should be dismissed because the state elected and chose just to call Delucca Rolle, to put on one witness. On Monday, the defense called witnesses who saw the commotion leading up to that takedown that was caught on video. Deputies were called to the parking lot in Tamarac with word of yet another large fight involving high school students at that location. The hearing will continue Tuesday with a handful more defense witnesses to be called, after which there could be a decision.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The protests that swept our streets over the summer, sparked by a nationwide outcry fed up with police brutality, are partly why the Broward Sheriff’s Office has formed a new social justice task force. The group is made up of community activists in the Black, Hispanic and LGBTQ communities, along with retired judges, police and clergy. Pre-selected, the task force starts its work immediately. The social justice task force is not intended to impede or step on the toes of the civilian review board that is currently being formed by Broward County leaders to review claims of officer misconduct. However, the body of volunteers will have a strong voice in preventing problems, reforming policies and funding decisions, among other things.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Another member of the Broward Sheriff's Office has died after contracting COVID-19. The 47-year-old was with BSO for over two decades, joining the department in January 2000, according to a release. As of Sunday morning, a total of 498 employees with the Broward Sheriffs Office have tested positive for COVID-19. Of those, 362 have since received negative tests and are either back at work or in the process of returning. BSO has 136 employees that are currently positive for COVID-19.

DANIA BEACH, Fla. A deputy-involved shooting that killed an armed suspect Friday night is being investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Authorities released the identity of the suspect on Saturday, with additional details about the incident. According to the Broward Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a domestic disturbance call in Dania Beach on Friday night. According to deputies, the deadly shooting was a result of their attempts "to apprehend the armed male." The deputy who fired his weapon has been placed on administrative leave, but his identity was not released.

NORTH LAUDERDALE, Fla. Authorities in Broward County are searching for a missing boy. According to detectives with the Broward Sheriff's Office, 10-year-old Shad Rahman Olivier Palmeus was last seen around 1 p.m. Wednesday at a Mobil gas station located at 1391 South State Road 7. The boy is approximately 4-foot-1 with black harid and brown eyes. He was wearing a black t-shirt with yellow and gray in the shoulder area, long black pants with gray and black sandals. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Broward Sheriff Office non-emergency number at 954-764-4357.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Scott Israel, the former Broward Sheriff who is running again to reclaim that position, was released from a hospital Thursday night, days after he tested positive for COVID-19. Israel confirmed reports of the news with a statement:“Tonight I am being discharged from the Delray Medical Center. I return home tonight grateful to finish out my treatment and recuperation and to strengthen for the coming days,” Israel, 64, wrote in part. This time, unfortunately, the test was positive,” wrote Israel. Tony’s campaign posted a tweet Wednesday saying: “Wishing good health and a speedy recovery to Scott Israel.

POMPANO bEACH, Fla. Deputies are still looking for those responsible for what relatives call the cold-blooded killing of a transgender woman in Pompano Beach. A detective with the Broward Sheriffs Office said there were people in the area the night before Fourth of July that may have seen something. Now, theres a $3,000 reward for any of those details that could lead to an arrest. Broward Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a call around 10:18 p.m. of a shooting at 244 N.W. Bryan Tutler with the Broward Sheriffs Office Homicide Unit.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Over the weekend, someone opened fire during a block party near Fort Lauderdale, leaving two people dead and two others wounded. Surveillance video from a nearby home show cars everywhere, making it difficult to get through the neighborhood around Northwest 12th Court, just outside of Fort Lauderdale. On Monday, police confirmed the identities of the two victims as 20-year-old Dion White and 23-year-old Lunide Dennis. Gensie Holmes was also at the party and performed CPR on the female victim. So far Guerrier is the only one facing a slew of charges, which include discharging a firearm in public and attempted murder.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Broward Countys latest emergency order went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday. The latest rules: Restaurants have a table limit of 6 people and a 10 p.m. closure time. (See the complete document Broward County Emergency Order)Local leaders in Broward County met Friday to discuss the state of the region and what they say is a critical point in the latest battle with COVID-19. (WPLG)The meeting in commission chambers, titled the COVID-19 Special Workshop, was a place for updates the latest emergency order went into effect, heading into the weekend. Its one reason the emergency order was issued a bit of a rollback of the rules.

WILTON MANORS, Fla. – An exchange of gunfire between police and a drug suspect ended with one man injured, a Cadillac with its windshield riddled with at least a dozen bullets, and two deputies placed on administrative assignment while an investigation is conducted. They pulled down a side street off North Andrews Avenue to stop the wanted drug suspect, and that’s when police say, he started shooting at them. Although activity was centered around the Wilton Manors Health and Rehabilitation Center, the incident was not directly related to the facility, officials said. A crew was in the back of the Wilton Manors facility doing electrical work when the shooting took place. Per BSO standard policy, the two deputies who fired their weapons have been placed on administrative assignment pending further investigation.

As one police union president told Local 10 News, hiring in law enforcement has changed. Jeff Bell heads the Broward Sheriffs Office Deputies Association, the union that represents 1400 members. "When I first started in 94, nobody was even handing out a job application," Bell said. In Broward County, law enforcement agencies are hiring:The Broward Sheriff's Office has 59 openings, Fort Lauderdale police have 12 openings and Pembroke Pines PD has 16. I dont know who wants to come into this profession right now when everything that we do seems to be wrong.

SUNRISE, Fla. An email obtained by Local 10 News shows the worry some dispatchers at the Broward Sheriff's Office have felt as more of their co-workers contracted COVID-19. Those dispatchers say the sheriff's office put their health at risk by not following the necessary precautions. Much has changed at the sheriff's office since the coronavirus pandemic began, according to BSO's Civilian Employee Union President Anthony Marciano. But as COVID-19 first picked up speed, and kept spreading, 9-1-1 dispatchers kept working. This was BSOs - and every other public safety agencys - first encounter with a global pandemic of this magnitude.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputy Ron Thurston, who was hired in 1999, claims his recent reassignment over a violation of the department’s social media policy and unbecoming conduct is politically motivated. Thurston’s attorney, Johnny McCray, said his client has been using his free time to campaign against Sheriff Gregory Tony and in support of his predecessor, Scott Israel. “I just think that it is fundamentally unfair for him to be singled out for making these comments,” McCray said. " “BSO in no way condones opinions or statements that discredit an individual or reflect poorly on our agency,” a BSO spokesperson said in a statement. The department’s social media policy says employees are prohibited from sharing content that could affect the morale of staff or the public’s perception of the agency.

OAKLAND PARK, Fla. – Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies are investigating a man for neglecting 13 dogs in Oakland Park. Many of the dogs didn’t have food or water, deputies said. Broward County Animal Care issued Cervantes citations for animal confinement violations on Monday, according to Sgt. Deputies and BCAC workers returned to Cervantes’ home on Wednesday without warning. Nothing had changed, so BCAC decided to issue more citations and remove the dogs, deputies said.

FORT LAUDERDAL, Fla. – The Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputies Association will hold a no-confidence vote on Sheriff Gregory Tony starting Tuesday, Local 10 News has confirmed. As you are aware, President Jeff Bell has been temporarily suspended by Sheriff Greg Tony. Sheriff Greg Tony has been summarily firing law enforcement Deputies without due process and in violation of Florida Law. Sheriff Greg Tony has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars for flyers (and postage) to Broward Voters. Sheriff Greg Tony has forced Deputies to choose between asserting their Constitutional rights or keeping their job during criminal cases.

DAVIE, Fla. – The fiancé of deceased Deputy Shannon Bennett is reacting to the allegations leveled against Davie Police Chief Dale Engle. On Sunday, Jonathan Frey, who was to marry Bennett in December, issued this statement:“The Chief’s alleged comments are completely false, homophobic, and slanderous. Saturday night, a statement from Lemack on behalf of the Town of Davie confirmed that Engle had been placed on leave. And it’s not indicative of the professionals of the Town of Davie that we know,” said Tucker. The Fraternal Order of Police said that Engle does deserve due process and there will be an investigation.

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Four Broward Sheriff’s Office employees have recently tested positive for the new coronavirus, the agency confirmed to Local 10 News on Friday. Donald Prichard, a spokesman for the agency, a total of 207 BSO employees have been either self-monitoring or self-isolating due to potential exposure to COVID-19. “The employees are in varying stages of the suggested 14-day window,” he said in an email. Prichard said the employees who tested positive are isolated and recuperating. Below is a breakdown of the employees’ status:· 4 confirmed positive cases· 13 new cases/pending classification· 83 cases are inactive or recovered pending return to work· 107 cases are in varying degrees of monitoring

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla – During a commission meeting Tuesday, Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony said he is struggling to get the appropriate personal protective equipment his deputies need to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are very limited,” Tony told Broward County commissioners. “This is a worldwide issue and there are only so many distributors that produce the materials that we need." Tony didn’t get into specifics about the shortage and how it’s affecting deputies, but he did say he is also worried about how other police departments in Broward County are being affected. “There have been some municipal cities that are having some issues acquiring equipment," Tony said.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony held a news conference Thursday morning to announce some changes within the department. Tony announced the selection of new members to the Professional Standards Committee, as well as that he will be implementing a Use of Force Review Board. According to the BSO, the PSC is responsible for reviewing the findings of Internal Affairs cases and providing disciplinary recommendations to the sheriff. Tony said he’s also instituting a seven-member Use of Force Review Board. A previously published video contained within this article erroneously referred to the sheriff as “Israel.” Local 10 News regrets the mistake.