Supporters rally around deputy removed from his job over social media

Florida Sen. Perry Thurston says his cousin was just telling the truth: The Broward Sheriff’s Office needs more black people in key departments.

Now that cousin, Sheriff’s Deputy Ronald Thurston, has been removed from his position and placed on desk duty, as the agency investigates his post on social media.

If the Broward Sheriff’s Office — and countless police agencies across the country — had been more reflective of the community it serves, then perhaps America would not be the tinderbox it is right now, Perry Thurston said Tuesday.

“I think all the points he made were valid,” he said.

On Saturday, as protests were growing more violent here and across the country after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Ronald Thurston turned to social media and pointed out what he considered the lack of black deputies assigned to various departments such as homicide, the gang unit and the crime suppression team.

“Vote or die,” Thurston wrote on a Facebook page after listing the number of black employees in various divisions at the Sheriff’s Office.

Some five hours after he made the post, officers rolled up to Thurston’s home in Pompano Beach and told him he was being placed on desk duty during an investigation into whether he violated social media policy, said longtime friend Vincente Thrower, who was there Saturday evening. The officers made Thurston surrender his gun and badge.

“He was hurt,” Thrower said. “He has dedicated his life to serving his community.”

Ronald Thurston grew up in Pompano Beach. He has been with the Broward Sheriff’s Office for 21 years. He’s a football coach for youngsters and for the past seven years has served as president of the Pompano Beach Democratic Club.

According to the social media policy at the Sheriff’s Office, employees are prohibited from sharing content that is inconsistent with the duties, conduct and responsibilities of an employee. This includes content that could be interpreted as having an adverse effect upon department morale, discipline, operations, safety of staff or perception of the public.

Unethical, sexual, violent, harassing, racist, sexist or ethnically derogatory comments, pictures, artwork, videos, material or other such references tend to undermine the public trust and confidence required by employees of the Sheriff’s Office, the policy states.

Ronald Thurston did not return calls seeking comment Monday, nor did Sheriff Gregory Tony.

Thurston’s Facebook page suggests he isn’t a fan of the current sheriff. In April, just days after Tony suspended union president Jeff Bell, Thurston posted that he had never seen a Democratic leader go after a union. Included in that post was an image of Thurston’s no-confidence vote against Tony.

Both Perry and Ronald Thurston have been supporters of former Sheriff Scott Israel, whom Gov. Ron DeSantis removed from his job after the mass shooting as Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

DeSantis appointed Tony to replace Israel, and the two are competing in this year’s election.

Perry Thurston, Thrower and dozens of people are expected to demonstrate over Thurston’s ouster outside the Broward Sheriff’s Office public safety building at 10 a.m. Thursday.

“I think a demonstration is a function of the fact that he was well loved in this community,” Perry Thurston said. “He does a really good job and should be considered an ambassador for law enforcement.”

Eileen Kelley can be reached at 772-925-9193 or ekelley@sunsentinel.com Follow on Twitter @reporterkell