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BSO deputy fired for improper use of force after brass countermands discipline committee’s recommended three-day suspension

ron thurston
Fired BSO Deputy Ron Thurston campaigning against Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony in August 2020.

By Dan Christensen, FloridaBulldog.org

A Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy and outspoken critic of Sheriff Gregory Tony who got in trouble twice for controversial posts on social media was fired Thursday.

BSO records made public Friday show that Thurston was fired for his improper use of force while making an arrest in North Lauderdale on April 1, 2020 as well as violations of BSO’s policy regarding truthfulneness, conduct unbecoming to an employee and reporting. Those records also show that on Feb. 1, Thurston was suspended for five days for violating BSO’s social media/social networking policy. An earlier version of this story used a headline that wrongly stated Thurston was fired for a social media post.

The decision to terminate Deputy Ronald Thurston, signed off on by BSO Col. John Hale, reversed a December recommendation by the sheriff’s Professional Standards Committee which had sustained two internal charges against Thurston and recommended he be suspended for three days without pay and given “command-directed training.”

“Upon further review by executive command, the recommended disposition and discipline” was changed to find that Thurston violated two internal rules regarding “conduct unbecoming an employee” and “truthfulness,” according to the memo Hale signed. The committee had previously sustained allegations that Thurston had violated “use of force” and “reporting” rules. An allegation of simple battery was not sustained.

The memo said that on Feb. 2, “Thurston and his representative attended a pre-disciplinary conference. Deputy Thurston had an opportunity to provide documents, information and testimony related to his case.”

Thurstson’s supervisor, Sgt. John Goodbread, was also disciplined in the case for failing to meet BSO standards and, unlike Thurston and other officers on scene, he did not turn on his body cam video that night. Goodbread was given a written reprimand and command-directed training.

Florida Bulldog also learned Friday that last June the State Attorney’s Office cleared Thurston of accusations that he committed a battery, made threats and used inappropriate neck pressure while attempting to arrest battery suspect Isaiah Darcisse in North Lauderdale on April 1, 2020. Darcisse was carrying a gun in his pocket at the time.

Besides the use of force case, Thurston, a cousin of former State Sen. Perry Thurston and supporter of former Sheriff Scott Israel, was separately investigated for violating BSO’s social media policy in the wake of the May 25, 2020 death of George Floyd under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer. Thurston had posted to Facebook then about what he believed was the dearth of blacks in leadership roles at the sheriff’s office.

Sheriff Tony released this statement Friday afternoon, “It’s clear from the video and the entire investigation conducted by BSO, Thurston acted in a manner outside the bounds of proper and effective law enforcement and should be terminated. His actions were egregious and do not reflect our agency’s training and de-escalation tactics. His actions show that he possesses neither the temperament nor the decision-making ability to wear a badge and carry a gun. Equally concerning was a comment Thurston made during his Garrity Statement. When asked if he could do things differently in the future Thurston said, ‘I probably would have killed him right there, and we wouldn’t be sitting here talking about it.’”

THURSTON’S POSTS

Here’s what Thurston wrote on Facebook, according to a June 1, 2020 report by WSVN – Channel 7, “Everyone can talk but no 1 steps up 2 da plate 4 action. RIGHT NOW THE BROWARD SHERIFF’S OFFICE Does not have 1 Black Sergeant that’s over the Crime Suppression Team. 1 Black Sergeant in Criminal Investigation/ District Level. 3 Black Sergeants Countywide that work Criminal Investigation/Downtown. NO BLACKS IN HOMICIDE. 3 BLACK CRIME SUPPRESSION DETECTIVES IN THE ENTIRE COUNTY. 1 BLACK GANG DETECTIVE, 1 BLACK IN MONEY LAUNDERING, 1 BLACK IN MAJOR NARCOTICS, 1 BLACK K9 DEPUTY… The list goes on and on … VOTE OR DIE.”

Thurston was stripped of his badge and gun and reassigned within hours of the post, according to the Sun-Sentinel. The post was later taken down.

BSO Colonel John Hale

The Sun-Sentinel also reported that Thurston was suspended for one day the year before after a posting that said “encouraged black people to take action.”

The May 14, 2019 post, which is still available on Thurston’s Facebook page, is of a 38-second video that ends with the fatal night time shooting of a woman in Baytown, Texas by an officer who was trying to arrest her. Thurston wrote, “MOST DISTURBING VIDEO I EVER SEEN….. WE CAN’T WAIT ON LEADERS, WE HAVE TO LEAD….TRUE STORY. Now Something Has To Give….. Black People Better Wake Up….. We Spend 2 Much Time Singing When We Need 2 Be Swinging……TRUE STORY.”

Thurston, a 23-year BSO veteran who most recently was assigned to a desk job in North Lauderdale, could not be reached for comment. He was represented by Michael Finesilver, an attorney for BSO’s Deputies Association, Local 6020 of the International Union of Police Association, AFL-CIO. Finesilver declined to comment.

Thurston’s internal affairs history of complaints dates to 2002 and more often than not those complaints were determined to be unfounded, although he was found to have slept on duty in 2004. Complaints against him escalated after Tony became sheriff in early 2019. In addition to the one-day suspension for violating BSO’s social media policy in 2019, he was suspended again for a day in 2020 for insubordination. In September 2021 he was twice suspended for two days for disrespecting a supervisor and failure to cooperate with other employees.

Pompano Beach attorney Johnny L. McCray represented Thurston before the union took over Thurston’s representation in the case. He called BSO’s decision “unfortunate.”

“I know him to be a very good police officer,” said McCray. “He was very involved in the community. He coached Little League.”

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Comments

9 responses to “BSO deputy fired for improper use of force after brass countermands discipline committee’s recommended three-day suspension”

  1. How long will Tony be allowed to ruin the lives of deputies and their families ? What is taking the Governor soo long to remove him? Tony takes everything personal and was proven he should never of been a cop in the first place.

  2. Is there an impeachment process. or a recall process that can be utilized to get Tony out of office?
    How in the world can Deputy Thurston’s removal be based on “Truthfulness,” when the (swollen) head of BSO has been untruthful in every application for a Law Enforcement position, (maybe not the one where he admitted to using LSD)??? As for “Conduct Unbecoming,” Tony won’t pass that test either.
    For shame Governor. Stop running for President and take care of FloriDUH!!!

  3. Kevin A Bolling Avatar

    Stand up for this guy, the honorable and professional Deputy Ron Thurston, he never lied, he has done tons of good for all communities he worked. Like me, we grew up in Pompano and were given a chance and rewarded with keeping our nose clean with a chance to be a public servant. We both are very proud of our service. Like Jeff Bell IUPA president who tried very hard to get the sheriff to tell the truth about COVID protection, was suspended and then fired, because of bully tony/toney would not have the truth told and they did the “conduct unbecoming” for telling the truth. Not that lying about killing a fellow drug dealer, drug use, driver’s license suspensions, and police applications flat out lies. the Ethics commission told me that they do not investigate politicians and would not tell me were to file a concern about tony/toney. FDLE Kieth Riddick

  4. tony/toney must go Avatar
    tony/toney must go

    Governor Desaints please remove your bully tony/toney.

  5. Jordan Boltri Avatar
    Jordan Boltri

    You know that if the police who did an “investigation” into the incident with Deputy Ronald Thurston when My good friend Rod and myself were OBVIOUSLY set up and brutally assaulted by Thurston & a co-Worker of his, None of this would have occurred!!!
    I was brutally assaulted at around 3/4am in only my jean pants sleeping at a friend’s, the sheriff cars were obviously backed in facing away from the apartment door, we were both arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrests without violence. I was asked that if I wanted an ambulance I would be arrested with violence against a LEO. THE CHARGES WERE DISORDERLY CONDUCTS AND RESISTING ARREST WITHOUT VIOLENCE AGAINST THE LAW OFFICER. AND HE ALSO ADDED A TON OF FALSE INFORMATION TO THE REPORT STATING THAT I HAD OPENED THE DOOR AND VERBALLY ASSAULTED THEM WITH RACIST COMMENTS. MOST OF MY FRIENDS ARE NOT CAUCASIAN WHITE INDIVIDUALS. ACTUALLY ALMOST HALF OF MY FAMILY IS AFRICAN AMERICAN. THIS MAN SHOULD HAVE BEEN STOPPED A LONG TIME AGO. WHEN I WAS IN JAIL THEY ALSO COMPLETELY REFUSED TO LET ME HAVE A PHONE CALL WHATSOEVER.

    Sincerely
    Jordan R Boltri

    B43643685

  6. Jordan Boltri Avatar
    Jordan Boltri

    Continuation of above because I’m A VICTIM of Violence & it LITERALLY pains me & follows me EVERY SINGLE DAY OF MY ENTIRE LIFE that a public servant who is responsible for serving and protecting the public, literally violated so many ethical and written laws that makes me sick, not to mention the paranoia and distrust in the entire system. That night I was asleep on the couch, as was everyone else but in their beds. When I heard the knock, which was quite Stern on the front door so late at night, I surely jumped up to look out the window and make sure of who was there before attempting to open the door for strangers at my friend’s house. When I looked outside there were two sheriffs who were refusing to state their reason for coming to the address, and refused to acknowledge and answer my question as to why both of their vehicles were backed in facing away from the front door of the residence. I refuse to open the door for the both of the officers because I was scared since they’re vehicles were facing directly away from the front door and parked in the fire Lanes. My friend who wasn’t army reserve at the time, I went to him and he answered the door for some odd reason. I’m glad it wasn’t me because they really did a number on him, there was so much blood everywhere, when I approached the door with my arms out my hands open to prove that I was not carrying anything that could harm or threaten the officers, I stated loud and clearly “why are you beating my friend up?”…
    Officer Thurston then responded by stating to me to please approach him slowly, by which I completely ignored his command and stood in the doorway of the front entrance way. And yanked me out the door throwing me head first into a brick wall so forcefully that when my head hit the wall blood literally sprayed across the paint. Which is extremely clear visually and I honestly hope the police investigation that was done afterwards has that on the records. But I’m sure my mug shot shows how bad my concussion was since I was smiling for my mugshot with blood dripping down my face. After he dragged me to his vehicle by my wrist across the pavement and showed me inside of his vehicle he asked me, which would you prefer Mr.Boltri.?… Your friend requested an ambulance for his injuries and so he’s being charged with resisting arrests with violence against the law officer. If you request an ambulance you’ll be charged with the same. Then he stated that if I didn’t need medical care that I’d only be charged with a lesser which was resisting arrest without violence against the law officer. Obviously I chose the lesser. But during our nice long ride to the station between consciness and passing out from so severe of a concussion. I managed to watch him write all of the extremely racist false information and statements on his computer for report is writing about why he did what he did to us! Honestly I think this man deserves so much more than being fired! I can’t even get into group homes because of that arrest! Halfway house is turning me down for residency at their places. Not to mention normal housing. He caused me extreme mental and physical pains that are immeasurable and indescribable. I was completely refused to phone call whatsoever at station when I was put in jail. I never received my phone call, at all! Only when I was moved to a different jail for people who are high risk, and I met someone who had no family or friends to call, so he let me use his call card number to call my family and let them know where I was, did I finally get a call. The system is broken because of people like this man, there needs to be an example made, and made very loud and clear that the public won’t accept this kind of behavior anymore!

  7. Jordan Boltri Avatar

    If any of these above commenters who obviously hold the same viewpoint towards this wonderful deputy would like to start a class action to provide some sort of support for those who have been mentally physically and or legally harmed by him, I’m available at..

    Jordan B.
    (561)740-5023

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