A Florida sheriff has fired and condemned the actions of two deputies after they refused to help a woman give birth in a jail cell.
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Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony said during a press conference Friday that he will take more disciplinary action after learning about two deputies who ignored a pregnant woman’s pleas for help during her labor. On Sept. 27, 28-year-old Stephanie Bretas was held at the North Broward Jail after she was charged with burglary and trespassing and gave birth to a baby boy. Her records state she was arrested after secretly living in a home without the owner’s knowledge for several weeks.
Chief Assistant Public Defender Gordon Weekes informed Sheriff Tony about the incident days after Bretas was released on Sept. 29 and he immediately fired Col. Gary Palmer and Lt. Col. Angela Neely. He says, “I am highly disgusted at the allegations. We have not been right in terms of what we could have done if these allegations are true.”
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Local 10 News also reported that this is not the first time a female inmate was ignored while giving birth at the jail. On April 10, 2019, Tammy Jackson gave birth to a baby girl named Miranda which caused Gov. Ron DeSantis to declare a new law that makes it illegal for pregnant inmates not to receive regular medical care. It was named after Jackson.