Eighth BSO deputy suspended, captain demoted amid probe into Tamarac triple murder
Key Points(5)
- Jemeriah Cooper, who previously led the Tamarac district, has been stripped of his rank and reassigned as a deputy, effective immediately.
- Additionally, Deputy Raul Ortiz was placed on administrative leave on Monday.
- Authorities later located them unharmed.</p> <p data-start="1267" data-end="1649">The violence erupted outside Mary Gingles’ home in the early morning hours.
- Investigators say Nathan Gingles first shot Ponzer in the head while he was having coffee on the back patio.
- With Seraphine in tow, he then chased his estranged wife as she ran to Ferrin’s house for refuge.
A Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) captain has been demoted, and an eighth deputy suspended, as the agency continues its internal probe into failures leading up to a deadly February 16 shooting spree in Tamarac that claimed three lives.
A BSO spokesperson confirmed Wednesday that Capt. Jemeriah Cooper, who previously led the Tamarac district, has been stripped of his rank and reassigned as a deputy, effective immediately. Additionally, Deputy Raul Ortiz was placed on administrative leave on Monday. Their disciplinary actions follow the suspension of seven other deputies—including a lieutenant and two sergeants—after an initial review found multiple failures in handling prior complaints about the suspect, Nathan Gingles.
Gingles, 43, is accused of fatally shooting his estranged wife, Mary Gingles, 34, her father, David Ponzer, 64, and neighbor Andrew Ferrin, 36, before fleeing with his 4-year-old daughter, Seraphine Gingles. Authorities later located them unharmed.
The violence erupted outside Mary Gingles’ home in the early morning hours. Investigators say Nathan Gingles first shot Ponzer in the head while he was having coffee on the back patio. With Seraphine in tow, he then chased his estranged wife as she ran to Ferrin’s house for refuge. Both Mary Gingles and Ferrin were gunned down inside the home before Gingles fled with the child.
Court records reveal that in the months leading up to the killings, Mary Gingles repeatedly sought help from law enforcement, reporting multiple domestic violence incidents and securing several restraining orders against her husband.
Despite these warnings, BSO deputies failed to intervene when they had the chance. Sheriff Gregory Tony revealed that a review of past police calls showed deputies could have arrested Gingles in December following a domestic violence complaint, but they did not.
Sheriff Tony’s blunt criticism of BSO’s failures
Sheriff Tony has been scathing in his assessment of his department’s handling of the case, acknowledging serious lapses that could have prevented the tragedy.
“We had a chance to save their loved one’s life, and we failed,” Tony said at a news conference last Wednesday. “There were clear opportunities to take action, and we didn’t. That is unacceptable.”
Calling the department’s performance “piss-poor,” Tony initially suspended seven deputies and warned that more disciplinary actions were coming. “People will lose their job(s) over this,” he said.
He has since followed through on that promise with the latest suspensions and demotions.
Meanwhile, the killings have rocked the Tamarac community, where residents gathered Tuesday for a candlelight vigil in honor of the victims. City officials and faith leaders joined grieving loved ones to pay tribute to those lost and call for systemic change in how domestic violence cases are handled.
Meanwhile, the internal investigation into BSO’s failures continues, and additional terminations remain a possibility.
As of Wednesday, Nathan Gingles remains behind bars at the BSO Main Jail, facing multiple charges, including three counts of first-degree murder.
