Two sergeants from the Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO) in the Oakland Park District are on administrative leave amidst an ongoing investigation into a "breach of confidence," according to official statements released by the BSO. The deputies in question, identified as Sgt. Victor Carrasquillo and Sgt. Matt Patten, are currently being scrutinized by the department's Internal Affairs unit; however, the specifics of the case in which they were involved have not been made public, as reported by Local 10.
This recent disciplinary action comes in the wake of a broader review of BSO's handling of cases, spurred by a tragic event in Tamarac where Nathan Gingles killed his estranged wife, her father, and a neighbor on February 16 and even though the suspect kidnapped his 4-year-old daughter, she was fortunately found unharmed, the investigation into the deputies' responses has revealed substantial lapses in protocol which led to eight deputies being suspended and one demoted because Sheriff Gregory Tony described the case management as a "piss-poor performance" by his staff, a sentiment detailed by NBC Miami.
The aftermath of the Tamarac triple homicide has prompted Sheriff Gregory Tony to order a thorough audit of how deputies have been handling their cases, both prior to and subsequent to the Tamarac incident. Veda Coleman-Wright, a spokesperson for the BSO, mentioned that roughly 6,000 cases are currently under examination for potential neglect or mismanagement.
Sheriff Tony has made this much clear and with the added scrutiny on Sgt. Patten and Sgt. Carrasquillo's handling of an undisclosed case, the BSO seems committed to restoring public trust in its operations and its badge.
