A Broward County Sheriff’s Office sergeant is expected to be reinstated after he was fired over his response to the Parkland, Florida, school shooting in 2018.
Sgt. Brian Miller, one of four sheriff’s deputies fired for “neglect of duty” following the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17, will return to the job with seniority and full back pay, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputies Association.
Miller challenged the termination with union backing, and an arbitration ruling found the sheriff’s office “violated Sgt. Brian Miller’s constitutional due process rights and improperly terminated him,” the union said.
Miller, who hid behind his car during the shooting that killed 17 students and faculty workers, was reportedly paid $138,410.25 in 2017.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office faced severe criticism for its reaction to the shooting. Miller was the first to respond as shots were being fired but hid behind his police cruiser and failed to radio in for a full 10 minutes. Capt. Jan Jordan, who was supposed to take command of the scene, arrived seven minutes after the shooting began and did not immediately direct deputies to go into the school.
Other deputies were fired from their positions for their reaction to the incident, including driving away from the gunfire to put on bulletproof vests and hiding behind vehicles. Then-Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel was removed from office by the Florida Senate last year following widespread criticism.
