Deputy suspended in video investigation

The Broward Sheriff’s Office suspended a veteran deputy Tuesday as officials investigate the secret videotaping of security footage of the airport shooting, which was given to TMZ.com.

Deputy Michael Dingman, 46, who is based at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, was suspended with pay. He has been a Broward deputy for 21 years.

“I’m not saying he did or didn’t do anything wrong,” Broward Sheriff Scott Israel said Tuesday. “Based on all the information available to me, the correct move, the direction I chose to go in, is to suspend a deputy with pay as the investigation continues.”

Israel said investigators are still looking at whether anyone was paid for the tape.

“I’m disgusted and appalled to think that, in general, anyone in law enforcement may have been involved in such a despicable event: Making a video, especially such a graphic video that is part of evidence, taking a video that is not any deputy’s property, to dis-

tribute to anybody,” he said.

Dingman surrendered his badge and patrol car as part of his suspension. He’s alleged to have disclosed or used confidential criminal justice information, according to an internal affairs memo. The memo also alleges Dingman did not use proper discretion and that his conduct was unbecoming of a deputy.

Officials think someone used a cellphone to tape the footage of shooting suspect Esteban Santiago as he pulled a gun from his waistband at the Terminal 2 baggage carousel and began firing on Friday. Five people died in the ambush and six were wounded.

FBI and county investiNo gators have been enhancing the video because they were seeing a person’s image reflected in the glass of the security monitor, Broward Mayor Barbara Sharief said.

The TMZ website is known to pay thousands to sources for videos of highinterest topics.

Records show that Dingman had an annual salary of $72,735 in 2015 and earned a total of $117,280 with over- time and special detail payments.

Dingman was reprimanded last year over an incident in 2011, when he and another deputy twice accessed information on a Florida Highway Patrol trooper who was being harassed for ticketing off-duty Miami Police officer Fausto Lopez for speeding.

The Sheriff’s Office gave Dingman a counseling form in his personnel file then, based on his accessing information on Trooper Donna “Jane” Watts. The agency settled a lawsuit in May brought by Watts for $6,000. She also settled with other agencies where officers had looked up her information.

A lawyer for Dingman could not be identified.

Dingman’s LinkedIn profile lists him as the owner of Shenanigans Diving, which offers scuba diving instruction.

The profile says Dingman served in U.S. Army aviation from 1987 to 1995.

TMZ.COM A video obtained by TMZ.com shows Esteban Santiago shooting. Authorities are trying to find out how the website got it.