Broward sheriff calls leak of airport shooting video 'despicable'; deputy is scrutinized

Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said Wednesday that it is was “despicable, repulsive” for anyone to have leaked airport security video of the shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

“If it ends up being that a deputy or any other law enforcement officer was involved, I won’t let it taint what 99.9 percent of this agency did out there on Friday,” Israel said.

Michael Dingman, a 21-year veteran of the Broward Sheriff’s Office assigned to the airport, was suspended with pay Tuesday in connection with the investigation into who leaked the video to TMZ.com.

Broward County deputy suspended in connection with leaked shooting footage

The video, which surfaced Sunday, appeared to be a cellphone recording of the surveillance video. 

The 20-second video appeared to show the first seconds of the shooting in the baggage claim area of Terminal 2.

A man wearing a long-sleeves shirt and black pants is seen in the video walking through the baggage claim area and pulling a gun from his waistband. He points the gun at people outside the frame, then disappears from the camera’s view.

The video shows people around the shooter scattering to find shelter. Others in the baggage claim area ducked behind luggage carts and baggage carousels.

The FBI, the Broward Sheriff’s Office and airport security officials on Sunday began investigating officials who had security clearance to watch the video.

Broward Mayor Barbara Sharief said Wednesday that the deputy’s image was reflected on the glass of the security monitor.

“Everyone was disheartened,” Sharief said. “It was a heinous thing to do. For families to see the final moments of their loved ones, to see them killed or get hurt on a video is traumatic.”

Sharief said she is not familiar with all Sheriff’s Office policies, but that she does not think Dingman deserves to continue to be paid.

“Law enforcement and airport staff worked nonstop to get travelers situated, protect them, get them help if they were hurt, return their belongings, get them back home,” Sharief said. “To have that distraction on top of everything else was an added toll and a disappointment.”

Sharief said she hopes criminal charges will be brought against whoever leaked the video.

“For us in Broward, we from the bottom of our hearts apologize that this happened,” Sharief said.

“This is not indicative of the Broward Sheriff’s Office," she said. "This is someone who acted in bad faith and committed a crime. We are proud of what our law enforcement did that day.”

Dingman was ordered to surrender his identification card, patrol vehicle and all badges as part of the suspension, according to an internal affairs memo.

The deputy was ordered to call the Sheriff’s Office Division of Internal Affairs twice a day, beginning Wednesday, to check whether there were special instructions from an investigator, the memo states.

Dingman was suspended on allegations of disclosure or use of confidential criminal justice information, failure to use discretion and conduct unbecoming an employee, the memo states.

Israel said the investigation is in the beginning stages and that officials are trying to determine whether Dingman profited from the video.

“I made the appropriate decision to suspend Deputy Dingman with pay yesterday,” Israel said. “Tomorrow, I could put him back to work, I could suspend him without pay, or he could be arrested. Everything is in play.”

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Dingman was reprimanded in 2012 after it was found he and another deputy used a law enforcement database to access information about a Florida Highway Patrol trooper who “became the subject of a major nationwide news story” when she stopped and ticketed an off-duty Miami police officer for speeding in 2011, according to an internal affairs report. 

Dingman reportedly told investigators he didn’t remember accessing the trooper’s personal information, but that he must have done so if the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles system indicated he did.

Dingman also told investigators he realized that looking for someone’s information “simply for the sake of satisfying one’s curiosity is inappropriate” and against policy, the report states.

Dingman was reprimanded for inappropriate computer use and failure to use discretion.

The report states the recommended action was an “Admit it and Move On Option,” in which the deputy waived his rights to an appeal, the report states. The maximum discipline imposed under that option is a written reprimand. He also was given a counseling report.