As a retired LEO, this disturbs me on many levels. First, since the event took place on a supervised range with his father, there was no need for ANYONE to question what he was doing. If he didn’t make any threats towards the school, the officers involved had no standing or probable cause to believe he was a threat to himself or others.
Second, he should contact the BCSD and file a formal complaint against the officers involved. Third, he should retain counsel (I’m sure someone would be willing to represent him PRO BONO and file a lawsuit against the sheriff, the school system, and also seek a TPO against further impromptu interrogations.
The depth of incompetence of this sheriff and his department are mind-blowing. I feel sorry for the truly good Broward County Deputies that have to suffer the crap of this sheriff.
The organized crime involving public officials has been happening even around some of the small cities for decades. Much of it involved local drug dealing, while police were forbidden from arresting special individuals. Some of those individuals have since been caught in other jurisdictions, though, and have developed long records in more recent years.
Sooner or later, they get to be too much trouble for their parents in local banking or whatever. I was a reserve for a short time in the past, mostly patrolling overnight on weekends by myself. The corruption was too much, and the area leadership too saturated with it. Became pretty disgusted and left the work behind despite offers from friends in other jurisdictions.
In my opinion, the best that we can do besides voting and being politically involved, is to continue promoting laws in favor of concealed carry and knowledge about security for as many competent, clean people as possible (clean meaning no drugs, not dangerously insane, no recent serious record). At least that way, even more of them will defend themselves against the local thugs. Sad that we need to do it that way, but too many youngsters over the past several generations were brought up wrong.