Gregory Tony and named Broward County's first African-American sheriff.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday appointed Gregory Tony, a former Coral Springs police sergeant, as Broward's top cop, replacing Scott Israel, the embattled sheriff who has been widely blamed for the chaotic response to the Feb. 14, 2018, shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

Israel, 62, was suspended by DeSantis just three days after the new governor took his oath of office.

Tony, the county's first black sheriff and a Democrat chosen by a Republican governor, takes the reigns of the most powerful office in Broward, with a $900 million budget and about 6,000 employees. The agency provides law enforcement to a dozen cities, the county jail and Fort-Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

He will serve out the remainder of Israel's term, which is up in 2020.

Tony, 40, a native of Philadelphia, is the president of Blue Spear Solutions, a security company that specializes in active shooter and mass casualty training.

Tony moved to Tallahassee after high school, hoping to play on the Florida State football team. He got his chance as a walk-on fullback but was later sidelined with a back injury, according to Warchant.com.

He graduated with a criminal justice degree and was hired in 2005 by Coral Springs, where he served on the SWAT team for five years and was promoted to sergeant in 2014. He started his company the following year and retired in 2016.

[SOURCE: TAMP BAY TIMES]