The Parkland high school shooting occurred in his jurisdiction in February 2018 while he was Broward County Sheriff, and his department and deputies were criticized.

Newly elected Florida Governor Ron DeSantis suspended him three days after taking office 11 months later.

[8] His father Maurice "Sonny" Israel (May 31, 1928 – June 1, 2006) fought in the Korean War as a US Marines sergeant (1950–1954), and was a New York City homicide detective and a Palm Beach Sheriff's Office deputy with a combined 44 years of service.

[10] He earned his bachelor's degree in political science and government at SUNY Cortland ('77), and played quarterback in college football there.

[13] Israel later worked undercover in narcotics, and served as a SWAT team commander, before retiring from the department as a captain in 2004.

During his first term, Israel built a record of being the most progressive sheriff in Florida with his approach to body cameras and civil citations for juveniles.

[36][37] A Broward County Sheriff's Office deputy in the terminal immediately responded by running to the sound of gunfire, apprehending the suspect within 85 seconds after it began.

"[37] The other responding BSO officers also reacted in a manner that the Special Master who was appointed to review the law enforcement response, former Florida Senate President J. Dudley Goodlette, later said was "textbook.

[40] After the shooting, Israel called for a ban on assault rifles to be reinstated, and said that he didn't believe that people with mental illness should have access to firearms.

"[41] On February 14, 2018, a 19-year-old shooter, armed with a semi-automatic AR-15 style rifle that he had purchased legally, entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida and opened fire on students and staff.

[44][45][46][47][48] In the aftermath of the shooting, Sheriff Israel came under scrutiny for both the actions of his deputies and what was seen by some as his department's failure to act sufficiently in reaction to warning signs about shooter and former student Nikolas Cruz.

[55] The Broward Sheriff Office stated on February 24, 2018: "Since 2008, BSO responded to 23 incidents where previous contact was made with the killer or his family.

[57][45] The FBI, for its part, admitted that it had received a tip (saying the caller suspected Cruz would shoot up a school) that its protocols required it to further investigate, but that it had failed to do so.

While the people who are victims of mental health illnesses in this country are being treated, in the opinion of this sheriff, they should not be able to buy, surround themselves with, purchase, or carry a handgun.

"[62] Israel called on federal and state lawmakers to allow police officers to detain people for a mental health evaluation who had made worrisome social media posts or “graphic threats” such as wanting to be a serial killer.

[37] Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, a commissioner on the panel, admonished Israel, saying "Words matter, and according to your policy, he did not have to go in".

A Marjory Stoneman Douglas Commission found that Peterson "knew through his training that the appropriate response was to seek out the active shooter, and not containment.

"[65][66] A 2019 "Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission Report" did not find any neglect of duty or incompetence on the part of Israel, but did discuss Peterson's failure to confront the shooter, and find that equipment and training necessary for effective response to mass casualty events was sporadic and inconsistent.

[39][67] The Special Master review concluded: "it was the individual failures that plagued the Stoneman Douglas response, not neglect or incompetence by Sheriff Israel.

"[32] In response to Israel's ouster, five command staff resigned, including Col. John "Jack" Dale, whose recorded reason was "Actions by governor not in the best interest of public safety", Undersheriff Steve Kinsey, the second in command at the agency ("due to the sheriff being suspended unjustly"), and Major Chadwick Wagner, a former Hollywood, Florida police chief ("the unjust decision by Gov.

[71] In March 2019, DeSantis in his first State of the State speech to a joint session of the Florida Legislature said “Why any senator would want to thumb his nose at the Parkland families and to eject Sheriff Tony, who is doing a great job and has made history as the first African-American sheriff in Broward history, is beyond me.”[74] After conducting a trial regarding the matter, Goodlette issued his report in September 2019.

[75][76] Bob Gualtieri, chairman of the panel investigating the Parkland shooting and sheriff of Pinellas County, said he didn't think Israel should be suspended: "He had some personnel that failed.

The IUPA deputies' union endorsed a third candidate in the primary race, retired BSO Colonel Al Pollock, who finished third place with 11%.

[82] Following his 2020 defeat, Israel briefly worked at the Davie Police Department in 2020 – 2021, overseeing the review of red light camera violations.