BSO Deputy Suspended

For Leaked Video of

Fort Lauderdale

Airport Shooting

 

 

Another Story about Police Misconduct

January 13, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Broward Sheriff's Office deputy Michael Dingman, was suspended with pay Tuesday after security footage of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport shooting was leaked to TMZ.

 

Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said in a statement:

 

"Our investigation is moving forward," Sheriff Scott Israel said. "We are making progress and aggressively pursuing this case. Today, I suspended a deputy with pay in connection with this active investigation."

 

Deputy Michael Dingman, 46, has been suspended with pay.

He has been with BSO for 21 years.

With his security clearance, he allegedly used a cellphone to record off of a monitor, not realizing that part of his own reflection was captured on the footage.

 

According to authorities, with the help of FBI technology, investigators were able to enhance the leaked video and in a reflection saw a logo as well as other identifying factors that connected Deputy Dingman to the leak.

 

Deputy Dingman was notified Tuesday about his suspension in a letter.

 

"While under suspension, you will surrender your BSO ID card, all badges, and BSO vehicle, if applicable," the letter said. "You will take no action under the colors of the Broward County Sheriff's Office. You are restricted from entering any Broward Sheriff's Office facility or onto any Broward Sheriff's Office property, unless directed to or authorized by the Division of Internal Affairs."

 

Letter of Suspension

 

 

According to Local 10 News

Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief said FBI investigators were able to enhance a reflection from the video to help identify the person who recorded the video. With the naked eye, you can see a hand on the screen.

If the deputy is found to have leaked the video he could face charges, including impeding a federal investigation.

 

He was even recognized as employee of the month in 2003, but he’s been in trouble before.

 

In May of 2016, the Broward Sheriff's Office paid Florida State Trooper, Donna Jane Watts, $6,000 within three weeks in response to her lawsuit filed over two Broward deputies accessing her information.

Trooper Donna "Jane" Watts made national news in October 2011 when she pulled over off-duty Miami Police Officer Fausto Lopez for speeding through Broward County in his marked patrol car at speeds exceeding 120 mph.

In the months afterward, Watts said she then was ridiculed and threatened; vehicles would stop in front of her driveway or linger on her cul-de-sac for no reason.

She said she became afraid for her life, causing her to move from her house in Coral Springs to the Florida Panhandle. Watts still works for the FHP, but she is now a traffic homicide investigator.

Wondering how cops were getting their hands on her information, she made a public records request with the state's Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to be notified about anyone making the request.

She learned that 88 officers from 25 agencies from across Florida looked up private information from the state's database, such as her home address, picture, Social Security number, date of birth and detailed vehicle description, according to her lawsuit.

Sheriff's Deputy Michael Dingman accessed Watts' information twice on Oct. 30, 2011, while Deputy Mark Rider accessed her information twice on Nov. 1, 2011, the lawsuit said.

They used the driver license information available to only police officers known as DAVID (Driver And Vehicle Information Database) and is more detailed than information available to the rest of the public. The database is meant to be accessed for legitimate police work.

The Sheriff's Office gave both deputies counseling forms in their personnel files, based on their accessing Watts' information.

Deputy Rider retired as a deputy in December 2013, an agency spokeswoman said.

 

We won’t be surprised if the sheriff ends up firing him. Sheriff Israel has spent his last term in office cleaning house and getting rid of these types of officers.

 

Let’s look at this carefully

 

A police officers first duty is to protect and to serve.

So, when something of this magnitude goes down, this deputy’s first reaction to what was, and could have been a much worse situation, was not to pull his gun, but a camera to enrich himself?

It’s our opinion that ANY law enforcement officer who would do that, does not belong in law enforcement.

 

How many times have we heard?

Because of my training, my first reaction was to draw my weapon.

This deputy’s first reaction was to draw a camera.

 

We are sure the people of Broward County and the rest of the world that use that airport feel much safer knowing that.