6 more Broward deputies fired, 11 disciplined after probe finds BSO failures tied to Tamarac triple murder
Six Broward deputies were fired and 11 others were disciplined following an internal affairs investigation into the Broward Sheriff's Office's handling of a Tamarac triple murder in February, the agency announced Friday.
The investigation found that multiple deputies failed to properly investigate domestic violence complaints that Mary Gingles made against her husband, Nathan Gingles, in the months before the killings.
Nathan Gingles was in the midst of a contentious divorce from his estranged wife, Mary Gingles.
On the morning of Feb. 16, he went to her home, located at 5897 N. Plum Bay Pkwy., and fatally shot her father, David Ponzer, on the patio. Mary Gingles ran to a neighbor's house for help, but Nathan Gingles followed her and opened fire, killing both her and the neighbor, 36-year-old Andrew Ferrin, according to court documents.
"It is painful to say this, but it is the truth – we failed Mary Gingles, David Ponzer and Andrew Ferrin," Sheriff Gregory Tony said in a press release. "I am heartbroken by their deaths, and I am sorry that we didn't do what we should have done to protect them."
Nathan Gingles was charged with murdering all three and kidnapping the couple's daughter.
Two other BSO deputies had previously been terminated.
BSO investigation found deputies failed to act on domestic violence reports
The internal affairs report revealed deputies repeatedly responded to Gingles' residence beginning in February 2024 regarding a restraining order and domestic violence incidents, but did not investigate adequately.
"We had multiple opportunities to protect Mary during the months preceding her death when she alerted us to the domestic violence she was experiencing," Tony said. "The deputies and detectives assigned to investigate these cases failed their training and, ultimately, failed to handle Mary's repeated cries for help with the urgency required."
Active shooter response in Tamarac violated BSO policy
The investigation also determined that during the Feb. 16 shooting, the sergeant overseeing the call ordered deputies to rally at a staging area before responding, in violation of BSO's Active Shooter policy. That policy requires deputies to move immediately toward the threat to protect lives.
"The public needs to know that our training is clear – responding deputies must move toward the gunfire and deal with the threat. Period," Sheriff Tony said. "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."
Sheriff Tony vowed that the agency will learn from the failures, saying the deaths of Gingles, Ponzer, and Ferrin "will not be in vain."