Sheriff ’s Office will join school shooting task force

The Broward Sheriff ’s Office has changed its mind and will participate in a county task force being set up to take a comprehensive look at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High shooting after all.

The Sheriff’s Office has come under criticism from many sides for how it handled its response to the shooting that killed 17 and wounded 17 others.

Because Gov. Rick Scott ordered the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to do an investigation of law enforcement’s response, Sheriff Scott Israel had declined the county’s task force invitation in March. At the time, he said “until FDLE determines the actual facts of what occurred Feb. 14, our agency is respectfully refraining from participating in any other public reviews of the inci- Assistant County Administrator Alphonso Jefferson said Wednesday that the Sheriff’s Office contacted the county again, saying it will participate and is appointing Col. John Dale to be its representative.

Jefferson said the Sheriff’s Office provided no explanation for the switch.

“The sheriff changed his mind,” Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Veda Coleman-Wright replied to a request for comment. She declined to elaborate on why. Israel did not respond to a text message seeking comment.

County Administrator Bertha Henry is forming the task force at the request of county commissioners. She announced the make-up of a 13-member commission on Monday, with school, governdent.”