Seminole County deputy fired after investigation into family's murder

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — A Seminole County deputy was fired this week in connection with an investigation into a man who killed his wife and two children last month before killing himself.

Chericia Brown was stabbed 15 times by her estranged husband, Henry Brown, in a Chili’s parking lot before he ran over her with a car, investigators said.

Document: Details that led to Tavenner's firing 

Document: State Attorney's Office decision not to file charges against Tavenner

Deputies said Henry Brown then went to pick up his children from a babysitter’s house, became involved in a shootout with police at the hospital where Chericia Brown was taken, then shot and killed his children and himself.

Final results of the investigation were released Thursday.

The Seminole County sheriff said Deputy Chad Tavenner was fired because he dropped the ball in an investigation involving Henry Brown before the shooting.

Deputies said Chericia Brown and Henry Brown met at a KinderCare in Apopka to exchange children on April 8, about a week before the murders and Henry Brown’s suicide.

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Henry Brown was not supposed to have contact with Chericia Brown under the terms of a previously filed injunction.%

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The two got into a fight and Chericia Brown ran from the area and called a friend to help her get her car from KinderCare.

Henry Brown tried to ram the friend’s vehicle and briefly chased them on State Road 436, deputies said.

The friend called 911, and the group was later met by Tavenner, who was told about the injunction.

Deputies said Tavenner never completed a report or filed charges.

“This guy doesn’t belong here. This guy violated our policies, he violated state law,” said Seminole County Sheriff Don Eslinger.

Tavenner downplayed and lied about the incident to his supervisor, a report said.

Two hours after he was called to the day care, Tavenner was called to investigate a suspicious vehicle in the area.

Two hours after he was called to the day care, Tavenner was called to investigate a suspicious vehicle in the area.

The person was in a red van and matched the description of Henry Brown.

“He travels to that call for service and believes it is Henry Brown, but yet again fails to make a report, failed to establish probable cause, and does not notify anyone within the Sheriff’s Office or surrounding law enforcement agencies of a pending criminal matter involving a violation of an injunction,” said Eslinger.

Tavenner did not tell his sergeant that Henry Brown tried to block Chericia Brown and her friend with a car, or about the children being in Henry Brown’s car while he tried to block them.

“We learned later that he actually deceived his sergeant and his co-worker that evening, saying that the incident actually occurred in Altamonte Springs, and that he was there only for an escort and a standby,” said Eslinger.

A report said Tavenner lied about important details such as what had happened, where the incident took place and whether domestic violence had occurred.

He also failed to mention the injunction to his sergeant or complete a report and file charges.

The sheriff fired the deputy and asked the state attorney's office to see if they could prosecute him for official misconduct, but prosecutors said they would not be able to prove the case.

Cox Media Group