Several more BSO deputies suspended, fired in wake of Tamarac triple murder
Several more Broward Sheriff's deputies were suspended without pay or fired Friday in the continuing aftermath of a Tamarac triple homicide, records show.
At least five Tamarac district deputies were placed on administrative leave without pay: Dia Cross, Daimeon Nelson, Eric Baide, Eric Klisiak, and Lemar Blackwood, according to notices of suspension or termination obtained by the South Florida Sun Sentinel. A sixth deputy who was on probationary status, Stephen Tapia, was terminated Friday 'for failure to meet probationary standards.'
An angry Sheriff Gregory Tony had vowed to hold his deputies accountable following the shooting of Mary Gingles, her father, David Ponzer, and a neighbor, Andrew Ferrin, in a quiet Tamarac community on Feb. 16. Mary Gingles had repeatedly sought help from the Sheriff's Office, saying in a court petition that she believed her husband, Nathan Gingles, was going to kill her. Gingles is now charged with three counts of first-degree murder.
'There will be people that lose their job over this,' Tony had said at a news conference three days after the murders. 'And I'll make sure they don't win a damn arbitration.'
Tony had suspended seven deputies with pay immediately after the shooting. An eighth deputy was suspended shortly after. And the captain of the entire district, Jemeriah Cooper, was demoted to deputy before he was terminated in May.
Former head of BSO's Tamarac unit fired after demotion over triple murder
BSO had evidence of suspicious bag left at Tamarac murder victim's home before her death, report shows
At least 15 deputies have now been suspended or fired since the triple shooting. The five on Friday were suspended without pay entirely; some had previously been suspended with pay. The Sheriff's Office did not provide any details on their role the day of the shooting due to the ongoing investigation, but all five are being charged with not meeting BSO standards when it comes to an 'active shooter,' according to their notices.
Many of them also face charges relating to 'neglect of duty,' 'discretion,' and 'Body Worn Cameras.'
Another deputy, Daniel Lovallo, was placed on administrative leave with pay in April. One of the charges in his case has to do with 'meeting BSO standards' in relation to 'Domestic Violence/Dating Violence Case Procedure,' according to his notice.
Some of the deputies who were originally suspended with pay in February are now suspended without pay.
A sergeant, Travis Allen, whose suspension was one of the seven initially reported by the Sun Sentinel, went from administrative leave with pay to without pay on May 23. Allen had responded to the scene with other deputies setting up a perimeter about 6 a.m. on Feb. 16 and had spotted people matching the appearance of Nathan Gingles and his young daughter walking in the neighborhood from his car, according to the probable cause affidavit. He broadcast over radio that he had seen a man and a barefoot girl, 'however, due to the unknown circumstances of the call, deputies continued to canvass the area.' Charges Allen is facing include the active shooter-BSO standards charge, 'taking suitable action' and neglect of duty, according to the notice.
Former head of BSO's Tamarac unit fired after demotion over triple murder
BSO had evidence of suspicious bag left at Tamarac murder victim's home before her death, report shows
Some of the deputies suspended without pay on Friday face unique charges. Blackwood is facing a charge related to 'meeting BSO standards' when it comes to 'responsibilities of the field training deputy/tech,' and Klisiak is charged with 'meeting BSO standards' when it comes to 'Quick Response Force,' according to their notices.
This is a developing story, so check back for updates. Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
31 minutes ago
- Forbes
Diddy Trial: Cassie's Friend Testifies Diddy Dangled Her Over Balcony
A friend of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura testified on Wednesday that Combs once dangled her over a 17th-floor balcony during a 2016 altercation and that he threatened to 'kill' her on another occasion, while also describing Combs' alleged violence toward Ventura. Ventura's friend Bryana 'Bana' Bongolan took the stand Wednesday, testifying Combs held her over a 17-story apartment balcony in 2016 during an altercation in Ventura's presence, after which he threw Bongolan on a table, causing her to sustain bruises and neck pain. Bongolan said she still suffers 'night terrors and paranoia' as a result of the balcony incident, CNN reported. In another incident at a photoshoot in 2016, Bongolan testified Combs came up to her and said, 'I'm the devil and I could kill you,' stating she did not know why he said that and theorized he may have been on drugs. Bongolan testified she saw multiple violent altercations between Combs and Ventura, describing an incident when she was asleep at Ventura's apartment and she was awakened by Combs banging at the door, who threw a knife at Ventura after entering, whom Bongolan said threw the knife back, CNN reported. Bongolan testified she sometimes saw Ventura with injuries, including a black eye, and said she initially hesitated to meet Combs after becoming friends with Ventura because she thought their relationship was 'volatile,' the Washington Post reported. Bongolan's testimony, including the balcony and knife incidents, mirror allegations she made in a lawsuit she filed against Combs in November 2024. Before Bongolan began testimony, forensic video expert Frank Piazza took the stand, testifying about the surveillance footage that captured Combs attacking Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel in 2016. Piazza testified he believes the surveillance footage, first published by CNN last year, accurately depicts the altercation between Ventura and Combs. Combs' legal team previously alleged CNN 'substantially altered' the footage, which CNN denied. The video was played multiple times for jurors, who have seen the video played several times during previous testimony so far in the trial. Piazza also testified he enhanced 10 'sex videos' recorded between 2012 and 2014 that were retrieved from a laptop Ventura turned over to the government, which were submitted as evidence and may later be shown to jurors, the New York Times reported. Bongolan filed a lawsuit against Combs in November 2024, alleging she was asleep in Ventura's Los Angeles apartment in 2016 when Combs woke her up by banging on the door and shouting. Her lawsuit states Combs entered the apartment and advanced on Bongolan, lifting her by her underarms and holding her over Ventura's 17th-floor balcony, stating, 'Do you know what the f— you did? Do you know what the f— you did?' while Ventura screamed at him to stop. 'The only purpose of dangling someone over a balcony is to actually kill them or to intentionally terrorize them and rob them of any concept of dominion over their own bodily autonomy and safety,' Bongolan's lawsuit states. Elsewhere in her lawsuit, Bongolan alleges she witnessed 'disturbing signs of an abusive relationship' by Combs toward Ventura, stating she sometimes saw Ventura with visible bruises and that she once witnessed an altercation in which Combs 'threw a large kitchen knife at Ms. Ventura, who, acting in self-defense, threw one back at him.' Combs denied the allegations in Bongolan's suit. 'Jane' is the pseudonym of a woman prosecutors say was sex trafficked by Combs, who is referred to as 'Victim-2' in the indictment. Ventura, who is referred to as 'Victim-1,' and 'Mia,' the pseudonym of 'Victim-4,' have both already testified. The indictment alleges Combs used 'force, threats of force, and coercion, to cause victims,' including Jane, 'to engage in commercial sex acts.' During her opening statement last month, prosecutor Emily A. Johnson described Jane as a single mother who began dating Combs in 2020, two years after Ventura left him. Johnson said Jane participated in a 'freak-off' thinking it would be a one-time thing to please Combs, though he expected more and discouraged her from working by paying her rent so she would always be available. Johnson described an altercation in which Combs became enraged at Jane after they clashed about him seeing another woman, during which he allegedly 'grabbed her in a chokehold, lifted her off the ground by her neck and kicked her to the ground,' the New York Times reported. Combs' defense lawyer Teny Geragos said during her opening statement Jane consented to their sexual encounters, stating a 'capable, strong woman, willingly engaged in their relationship,' which she said is 'not sex trafficking,' the Times reported. Ventura, who dated Combs on-and-off for about a decade, testified for much of the trial's first week, alleging Combs coerced her into 'freak-off' sexual encounters with male escorts, which she says left her in physical and mental pain. She also described various instances of physical abuse and accused Combs of raping her in 2018. Rapper Kid Cudi took the stand in May alleging Combs broke into his house and that his car was firebombed in his driveway in 2012 after Combs discovered he was dating Ventura. Mia, a former personal assistant to Combs, took the stand last week, alleging Combs repeatedly sexually assaulted her and subjected her to physical abuse while she worked for him. Combs is charged with two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and one count of racketeering conspiracy. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Separately, Combs faces dozens of civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault and sex trafficking, all of which he has denied. Diddy Trial: Alleged Victim 'Mia' Testifies Combs Sexually Assaulted Her Multiple Times (Forbes) Diddy Trial: Kid Cudi Testifies Sean Combs Broke Into His House Before His Car Was Firebombed (Forbes)
Chicago Tribune
4 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Armed robbery in Aurora Township leaves one injured, Kane County Sheriff's Office says
An armed robbery on Monday evening in Aurora Township left one person injured, according to a news release from the Kane County Sheriff's Office. On Monday at around 6:36 p.m., the Sheriff's Office responded to a report of an armed robbery with shots fired and an individual injured on the 800 block of Konen Avenue in Aurora Township, the news release said. According to a preliminary investigation, three people had approached a red Mitsubishi Outlander demanding its driver, a man from Aurora, give them his money and cell phone. The items were taken, and one of the individuals fired a weapon, injuring the Aurora man's right leg, according to the release. The man was taken to Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora with non-life-threatening injuries and later released, the news release said. The individuals involved ran north from the scene of the incident, according to the Sheriff's Office's news release. Police dogs and a drone were deployed to locate evidence and the people involved, officials said. Those who remained at the scene were detained for questioning, with one released with no charges and another being held for further investigation and questioning, the release stated. The Aurora Police Department and Aurora Fire Department assisted, and the county's Investigations Division and Evidence Division also responded to assist with the investigation, which remains ongoing. The Kane County Sheriff's Office is encouraging anyone who witnessed the incident or who has information about it to contact the county's Investigations Division at 630-444-1103.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Man pleads not guilty in sexual assault case
EAU CLAIRE — A man facing sexual assault and strangulation charges pleaded not guilty Tuesday. Joseph Pope, 22, now of Mendota Heights, Minn., is charged with second degree sexual assault, strangulation and suffocation, physical abuse of a child — intentionally causing bodily harm, and false imprisonment. The case was filed in February. According to the criminal complaint, police found the victim on the sidewalk outside, crying, after being called to Pope's Eau Claire residence. They took her to the hospital and interviewed her there. The woman told investigators she had asked Pope for permission to sleep at his apartment, using his bed instead of the couch because he has roommates. He agreed. When she went to bed, she said Pope began biting her neck. When she told him to stop, he replied 'stop being a baby.' He quit and she fell asleep. She awoke about 15 minutes later to Pope again biting her neck. He pulled at her hair and choked her, which she told police caused everything to go 'black for 10 seconds.' Pope sexually assaulted her, and she began gathering her things to leave when Pope left the room for a moment. He blocked the door and refused to let her leave. When she threatened to call police, he replied that no one would believe her. Police did, though, in part because she still had bite marks on her neck when they spoke with her at the hospital. Each of the charges is a felony. Second degree sexual assault is a Class C felony, which carries the potential for up to 40 years in prison and fines of up to $100,000. The remaining charges are all Class H felonies. Each carries up to six years in prison and fines of up to $10,000. Court records indicate a status conference is scheduled for July 30 in the case.
