Arrest of Nikolas Cruz following Parkland massacre improved law enforcement officer’s path

FORT LAUDERDALE – Coconut Creek law enforcement Officer Michael Leonard stated the working day he arrested Nikolas Cruz immediately after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Substantial College his path in regulation enforcement transformed.

“Now I’m a college useful resource K9 officer. My K9 associate, Taylor, is qualified to scent guns and ammunition,” he said.

Leonard employed to be an administrative officer. On the working day of the massacre, he reported every little thing adjusted. He raced out the door from his desk occupation and was on the hunt for a killer. He made the decision to look at nearby neighborhoods.

“I located the suspect walking on the sidewalk,” he said. “I jumped out of the truck and I dealt with him as if he was the particular person ended up looking for, the suspect. I requested him his name. He claimed Nikolas Cruz. At that pretty second, I knew I experienced the right particular person.”

It was that minute that would change his path.

“After catching him, I recognized I want to be out helping learners and just maintaining them risk-free. I felt like I couldn’t do that from a desk,” Leonard reported.

He left his career in administration and turned a school source officer much more than three many years back. He and Taylor go to faculties around Coconut Creek with Taylor sniffing for scents of a firearm.

“There was a spark that day that has not long gone out. It is gotten more substantial,” he stated.

He claimed it really is a contacting.

“It just provides me reason,” Leonard explained. “I hope it’s providing them that feeling of security to know they appear to school and they’re risk-free.”

He mentioned he’d appreciate to see this software expanded and set additional canine to get the job done in colleges. In the meantime, he plans on doing the job as extended as he can until he and Taylor can retire with each other.