Not the first time deputy has been in hot water over a post

Shared video of woman killed by police in Texas

A Broward sheriff ’s deputy who is under investigation for a recent Facebook post had previously gotten into trouble for what he wrote on social media, records show.

Ronald Thurston is one of two deputies reassigned from their positions while under investigation for recent social media posts coinciding with the death of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. Thurston was reassigned hours after questioning the lack of black leaders at the Broward Sheriff ’s Office.

Thurston had been in trouble previously for sharing a video on his Facebook account about a woman killed by police in Texas last year.

Records from the Sheriff’s Office show Thurston was suspended for one day last year for violating the agency’s social media policy. In his post in May last year, Thurston encouraged black people to take action.

“Now something has to give,” according to a screenshot shared by a friend of his. “Black people better wake up. We spend too much time singing and not enough time swinging.”

On Saturday, as protests over Floyd’s death were growing, police went to Thurston’s home in Pompano Beach and took his gun and badge, telling him he was on restrictive duty. The move came just hours after Thurston had turned to Facebook to point out that there were few black law enforcement officers in various divisions within the Broward Sheriff ’s Office. “Vote or die,” Thurston wrote.

Within his post, Thurston also mentioned getting into trouble for sharing a video a year ago.

A union attorney representing Thurston said he could not comment on the cases.

Thurston has openly supported former Sheriff Scott Israel, who was removed from his job after the Parkland school shooting and is running against Sheriff Gregory Tony to reclaim it.

Also moved to desk duty was another veteran deputy, Michael Ruback. The Sheriff’s Office since Monday has not commented about Thurston’s or Ruback’s cases.

Thurston’s friend Damara Holness said he has done a great service guiding young black youths in Pompano Beach, where he had worked for years. For the past seven years, Thurston has served as president of the Pompano Beach Democratic Club.

After sharing the video last year, Thurston was reassigned to work in North Lauderdale. In his post on Saturday, Thurston said his removal from his Pompano Beach position was related to sharing the video.

“I got kicked out of Pompano Beach because I posted the video of a black female that was murdered by the police in Texas,” he wrote. “Because I posted that video on my lunch break I received a one day suspension, removed from community services/special events unit and never to work overtime and details in the city of Pompano Beach.

“So when I hear everyone saying we need 2 do this & that it’s because you have sat on your azz the city is like it is. PS pastors need to do soul searching. Vote or die.”

A demonstration protesting Thurston’s removal from his position is scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday outside the Broward Sheriff ’s Office.

Thurston