BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. — Suspended Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel spent hours Wednesday fighting to get his job back.
Governor Ron DeSantis removed him in January because of his handling of the Parkland school shooting last year.
Since then, Israel has appealed his suspension.
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He pushed back against accusations Wednesday that he was incompetent and neglected his duty.
He said there is no way to know how an individual officer will react in the heat of the moment.
"There's no sheriff, there is no police leader, there's no football coach and there is no general that is going to get someone to go in when the human element takes over, and they say to themselves, 'I am not going in,'" said Israel.
Meanwhile, DeSantis' attorney blamed Israel for what he calls inadequate training of deputies and flawed policies.
"Because the sheriff has to appoint deputies to act with the sheriff's authority, the sheriff is responsible if the deputies commit neglect or default," said Nick Primrose, deputy general counsel with the governor’s office.
Testimony is expected to continue Thursday.
After that, a court official will make a recommendation on whether to permanently suspend Israel. But in the end, it's up to the full state Senate.
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Cox Media Group
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