Demoted deputy chief files to take his boss’ job as Indian River County Sheriff

A three-way Republican Primary is shaping up as the current Indian River County Sheriff comes up for re-election.

Milo Thornton, a captain in the Sheriff’s Office, is challenging his boss, Sheriff Eric Flowers, for the Republican nomination for Sheriff. Flowers, who ran as a Republican in the last election, has not filed his papers for re-election yet, but has announced his intention to do so, according to media reports.

Also, Keith Touchberry, current Police Chief in the city of Fellsmere, has also filed to run on the Republican ticket. The three will be competing to face Deborah Cooney, who has no party affiliation and was the second-place finisher in the 2020 election against Flowers. So far, Touchberry has raised $41,024 for his bid.

Thornton, the newest entrant in the race, made headlines as the Sheriff’s Office’s first Black Deputy Chief when Flowers first announced his command staff in 2021, according to the Vero News.

But then, Flowers demoted Thornton to captain in April 2022, following an 11-week in-house investigation into complaints about Thornton’s management style. The investigation cleared Thornton of any wrongdoing, but Flowers reduced his rank and pay and reassigned him to the school safety division, the Vero News reported.

Thornton began his law enforcement career at the Vero Beach Police Department, where he served as a patrol officer and field training officer. After three years with that agency, he left to join the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, where he’s served for over 20 years, rising to the highest rank ever achieved by a Black person, according to Treasure Coast newspapers.

“I have spent my entire adult life working on fostering good solid relationships that treat the underlying conditions that lead people down the path to commit crime in the first place,” Thornton’s announcement said.

“I truly feel that crime is a symptom of another problem, and it is those years of preparation and those relationships that will make sure we preserve that high standard and quality of life that our citizens expect and deserve.”