A 1993 police report detailing how an embattled Florida sheriff shot and killed a man in Philadelphia when he was a teenager has surfaced,...
A 1993 police report detailing how an embattled Florida sheriff shot and killed a man in Philadelphia when he was a teenager has surfaced, raising with it a series of doubts over the law enforcement official's recollection of events.
Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony, who is running for re-election, kept the killing of 18-year-old Hector 'Chino' Rodriguez a secret for 27 years.
But earlier this month, it was confirmed that Tony shot and killed Rodriguez when he was just 14, in what the sheriff claims was an act self defense.
A police report recovered by the Miami Herald this week offers a brief summary of the fatal incident and contradicts a number of details shared by Tony about the shooting in the last week.
Sheriff Tony, who is running for re-election, kept the killing of 18-year-old Hector 'Chino' Rodriguez secret for 27 years
A police report recovered by the Miami Herald this week offers a brief summary of the incident and contradicts a number of details shared by Tony in the last week to explain why he never disclosed details about the shooting of Hector Rodriguez (above)
The reports states the defendant, 'Gregory Scott-Toney' - his name spelled differently to now - was involved in an argument with Rodriguez in the build up to the fatal confrontation.
The Florida Sheriff said earlier this week that he was never arrested in relation to the shooting because he was a juvenile at the time.
However, the report says he was arrested on March 6, 1993, the day after Rodriguez's death, after a warrant was issued for his arrest and he turned himself in.
Tony was held in custody as an adult for a week until the case was moved to juvenile court and his bond was set at $15,000. Seven months later, he was found not guilty by a judge at trial, the report says.
Another key detail in the report that differs from Tony's recollection of the shooting is where the incident took place.
According to Tony, Rodriguez pulled out a gun and threatened him and his brother outside of their home. Fearing for his life, Tony says he ran inside to grab his father's gun, and Rodriguez followed him.
It was inside Tony's family home that the sheriff claims he shot Rodriguez dead. However, according to the report, the scene of the homicide is listed as 'in front' of Tony's house, not inside it.
Officers did however note that by the time investigators arrived, Rodriguez had already been driven by others to hospital to be treated for multiple gunshot wounds to his head and body.
The reports states the defendant, 'Gregory Scott-Toney' - his name spelled differently than now - was involved in an argument with Rodriguez in the build up to the fatal confrontation
The Florida Sheriff said earlier this week that he was never arrested in relation to the shooting because he was a juvenile at the time. However, the report says he was arrested on March 6, 1993, the day after Rodriguez's death, after a warrant was issued for his arrest and he turned himself in
Another key detail in the report that differs from Tony's recollection is where the incident took place
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is now investigating whether Tony may have violated the law when he failed to disclose the incident in his Coral Springs Police Department application where Tony became a sergeant before his appointment as sheriff.
When asked if he had ever been arrested, charged or detained, Tony checked 'no' in response to each question on his application.
Earlier this year, on a Florida Department of Law Enforcement form, Tony wrote 'false' when asked if he ever had a criminal matter that was sealed or expunged
Florida law allows anyone with an expunged record to keep such details confidential, but there are several exceptions to the rule, including when the person is 'a candidate for employment with a criminal justice agency.'
One affidavit filled out by Tony in January said any untruthfulness shared on the form would be considered a second-degree misdemeanor.
In a statement on Sunday, Tony's re-election campaign focused only on the final line of the report, which references his acquittal and therefore his subsequent lack of a criminal record.
'We are happy to see the release of the police report from the time of the incident,' his campaign said, failing to address any discrepancies between Tony's account of events and the report.
'There is now absolute confirmation of what we have been saying all along: that Sheriff Tony defended himself and his brother's life, and that after witness testimony heard by a judge, he was found not guilty.'
The statement continued: 'Further, it is confirmation that Sheriff Tony has no criminal record. With this concrete evidence fully vindicating the Sheriff, it is time to stop these desperate attempts by opposing campaigns to retry Sheriff Tony based on a traumatic incident from when he was a 14-year old boy, and move on to focusing on the real issues that affect the future and safety of Broward County residents.'
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is now investigating whether Tony may have violated the law when he failed to disclose the incident in his Coral Springs Police Department application where Tony became a sergeant before his appointment as sheriff
![Tony, meanwhile, has described Rodriguez as a known drug dealer and refuted newspapers reports from the time that they were friends. Rodriguez’s then-girlfriend, Martiza Carrasquillo, (left) however, wrote on Facebook last week that Tony and his brother ‘would go over the Rodriguez [home] and eat at their table’ prior to the shooting.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/05/12/02/28280454-8309655-image-a-30_1589248454311.jpg)
Tony, meanwhile, has described Rodriguez as a known drug dealer and refuted newspapers reports from the time that they were friends. Rodriguez's then-girlfriend, Martiza Carrasquillo, (left) however, wrote on Facebook last week that Tony and his brother 'would go over the Rodriguez [home] and eat at their table' prior to the shooting.
News of the shooting and the emergence of the homicide record is one of two potentially damaging exposures for Tony in the already rancorous Broward County Sheriff election race.
Days after Rodriguez's death was thrust into public consciousness, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed photos of the 41-year-old and his topless wife attending a series of swinger parties in Miami, that hosts 'underground erotic theme events, pool parties & group vacations for beautiful, bi-sexy women and adventurous couples.'
When approached by DailyMail.com, Tony refused to confirm or deny that the photos were of him and his wife and declined comment. He referred questions to his personal attorney in Tallahassee, Natalie Kato.
Kato said on Monday morning: 'I have no motherf**king comment. I'm not authorized to give any statement.'
She did, however, appear to confirm the photos were indeed of Tony and his wife, saying: 'Whoever is going to use these photos will risk legal action. His wife and the other people on the photos are not a public persons. Only he is.'
Kato also said the photos were on a members-only website, an inaccurate statement.
The photos were taken in August 2015 and April 2016 at monthly 'Liquid Bliss' parties in a secret location in downtown Miami only revealed to couples vetted by organizers for their physical appearance.
The killing of Rodriguez was investigated at the time by Leon Lubiejewski, who has since retired from the Philadelphia Police Department after 39-years.
Lubiejewski said he can't recall any details from the near three-decade-old shooting, but he vouched for the authenticity of the homicide report.
'There's no doubt about it. It's an official homicide document,' he told the Herald. 'The department has them going back to at least the '60s.'
Tony, meanwhile, has described Rodriguez as a known drug dealer and refuted newspapers reports from the time that they were friends.
Rodriguez's then-girlfriend, Martiza Carrasquillo, however, wrote on Facebook last week that Tony and his brother 'would go over the Rodriguez [home] and eat at their table' prior to the shooting.
She added that witnesses told her Tony shot her boyfriend from 'the top of the steps of his front door.'
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