HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — The father of a Hillsborough County deputy has filed a lawsuit against Sheriff Chad Chronister.
Deputy Abigail Bieber was shot and killed by her boyfriend, Daniel Leyden, who also worked for HCSO. The detective then turned the gun on himself.
Watch report from Kylie McGivern
Today marks four years since the murder-suicide, which Abby's father, Bruce Bieber, says could have been prevented.
The suit is for negligent retention, negligent supervision, negligent training, fraudulent concealment, wrongful death, and "deliberate indifference to Leyden's known dangerousness created and enhanced the danger that resulted in Deputy Bieber's death, in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of substantive due process.”
Sitting in Bieber's living room, he pulled out a printed image from his security camera, showing three law enforcement officers standing at his front door.
“You’re looking at the worst moment of my life," Bieber said.
"Three deputies arrived at my door at 3:52 a.m. and didn't need to say one syllable of one word for me to know my daughter was dead," Bieber said. “You have the life that existed in the seconds before that — and then everything after that.”
Surrounded by memories of his daughter, the photos capturing her smile and her dedication to serving her community are part of the times "before."
“They provide the impetus to keep going," Bieber said, looking at the snapshots.
Before deputies arrived at Bieber's door, Abby was vacationing with her boyfriend, Dan Leyden, and two other couples in St. Augustine.
“She was going to end the relationship on this trip. And she did," Bieber said.
The I-Team obtained the 911 call. In it, one of the women vacationing with Abby said, "I need you to listen to me, there are four cops in the house, two of us ,five out of six of us are cops. I need you to get on the way here, he is in an upstairs bedroom."
The 911 dispatcher asked, "Is he a cop too?"
"His name is Dan. Yes," she said.
Four out of the six were deputies who worked together at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
“I heard them arguing, I heard her through the wall say, ‘Put the gun down.’ I knocked on the door at that point because I wanted to say 'hey, let my friend out,' and I asked her to come out with me. He said no, she said, ‘I can’t get to the door.’ I’m not going to leave until you come out of the door. I want to make sure you’re safe," the caller told the 911 dispatcher. “And I heard three shots fired and I ran."
Leyden shot and killed Abby and then killed himself.
It's a tragic ending. Chynna Ratner, who dated Leyden years before Abby, fears could have been her own.
“I realized at that time that he’s 100% using his power and badge to try to scare me, to manipulate me," Ratner told the I-Team.
The I-Team met with her three years ago, after Ratner shared her experience with Leyden on social media following Abby's death.
"He grabbed the back of my head, pulled out his gun, put it to the side of my head, looked me right in the eyes, and told me that if I were to scream, run or talk to anybody, that he would shoot my dogs in front of me, shoot me and then kill himself," Ratner said in a video she shared to Instagram.
An earlier incident was detailed in a report the I-Team obtained from HCSO.
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“I told them that he was controlling, that he was trying to stop me from leaving, I told them that he was punching my car, I told them all of these things, that I didn’t feel safe," Ratner said.
Deputies gave Ratner a Victim's Rights pamphlet. The incident, cleared as "unfounded," was not included in Leyden's personnel file.
It was after the funeral procession, bringing Abby's body from St. Augustine home to the Tampa Bay area, that Bieber said a deputy approached him and told him about the call involving Ratner.
"That was the first time I had learned the guy who killed my daughter had had a history of domestic violence," Bieber said. "This should have been stopped.
The lawsuit states, “Deputy Bieber's death was not an unforeseeable tragedy. It was the direct and predictable result of HCSO's deliberate indifference to a known and obvious danger: Detective Leyden's documented history of domestic violence, stalking, and threats with firearms against intimate partners.”
Read lawsuit
Complaint Bruce Bieber by Tampa Bay 28
Specifically referencing Ratner, the complaint goes on to say, “As early as 2016, HCSO received specific, credible reports that Leyden had engaged in controlling and violent behavior toward his then girlfriend, Chynna Ratner, including punching her car window, refusing to let her leave, and exhibiting signs of intoxication while confronting her. Rather than investigate these serious allegations against a sworn, armed deputy, HCSO cleared the matter as "unfounded" and excluded all evidence from Leyden's personnel file.”
The lawsuit also states that “Bieber’s murder was the third murder-suicide involving an HCSO deputy as the killer in just five years", saying, “These prior tragedies put HCSO on notice of the dangers posed by failing to address domestic violence among its officers, yet HCSO implemented no meaningful reforms.”
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HCSO told the I-Team, as a matter of policy, it does not comment on pending or active litigation.
Last year, the I-Team requested an interview with Sheriff Chad Chronister to discuss Bieber's concerns, officer-involved domestic violence within the department and any changes to policy.
HCSO instead sent this statement:
"We continue to extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Bieber and his family as they navigate the profound grief of losing Abigail Bieber. Her tragic death is a loss continuously felt deeply across our office and community.
It is imperative to acknowledge that Daniel Leyden is the sole individual responsible for this senseless act. The pain and devastation he inflicted are immeasurable. As he is deceased, the avenues for legal justice are limited.
What is heartbreaking about this case is that no one saw it coming, not their coworkers, friends, or even their family. This underscores the profound violation and heartbreak this tragedy brings. If those closest to Leyden were unaware, it is only reasonable to understand why the Sheriff's Office was also unaware of the darkness within him.
Before this incident, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office had no documented reports or allegations of domestic violence involving Leyden and Bieber. HCSO could not have anticipated or intervened in this tragedy without such information.
Domestic violence is a grave concern that we do not tolerate, whether within our ranks or in the broader community. We urge anyone experiencing such abuse to seek help. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is available at 813-247-8200. Our partners at The Spring of Tampa Bay can also be reached at 813-247-7233."
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, resources are available. Please call the Florida Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-500-1119.
List of Domestic Violence Centers in Florida
Hillsborough County
The Spring of Tampa Bay
Phone: 813-247-5433
Hotline: 813-247-7233
TDD: 813-248-1050
Website: https://www.thespring.org/
Pinellas County
Community Action Stops Abuse
Also Known As: CASA
Phone: (727) 895-4912 (Ext. 100)
Hotline: (727) 895-4912 (Ext. 1)
TDD: (727) 828-1269
Website: https://www.casapinellas.org/
Chat: https://www.casapinellas.org/chat/
The Haven at Hope Villages of America
Phone: (727) 441-2029
24 Hour Crisis Hotline: (727) 442-4128
TYY: (727) 446-2448
Website: https://hopevillagesofamerica.org/
Pasco County
The Salvation Army Domestic Violence Program of West Pasco
Phone: (727) 856-6498
Hotline: (727) 856-5797
TDD: (727) 364-6132
Website: https://salvationarmyflorida.org/pasco-county/
Sunrise Domestic and Sexual Violence Center, Also Known As: Sunrise of Pasco
Phone: (352) 521-3358
Hotline: (352) 521-3120
TDD:
Website: https://www.sunrisepasco.org/
Polk County
Peace River Center Domestic Violence Shelter
Also Known As: Peace River
Phone: (863) 413-2708
Hotline: (863) 413-2700
TDD: (863) 413-2700
Website: https://www.peacerivercenter.org/
Manatee County
HOPE Family Services
Phone: 941-747-8499
Hotline: 941-755-6805
TDD: 941-755-6805
Website: https://www.hopefamilyservice.org/
Chat: http://www.hopefamilyservice.org/
Sarasota County
Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center
Also Known As: SPARCC
Phone: (941) 365-0208
Hotline: (941) 365-1976
TDD: (941) 365-1976
Website: https://www.sparcc.net/
Citrus County
Citrus County Abuse Shelter Association
Phone: 352-344-8112
Hotline: 352-344-8111
TDD: 352-344-8111
Website: https://casafl.org/
Hardee County
Peace River Center Domestic Violence Shelter
Phone: 863-413-2708
Hotline: 863-413-2700
TDD: 863-413-2700
Website: https://www.peacerivercenter.org/
Hernando County
Dawn Center of Hernando County
Phone: 352-684-7191
Hotline: 352-686-8430
TDD: 352-686-8430
Highlands County
Peace River Center Domestic Violence Shelter
Phone: 863-413-2708
Hotline: 863-413-2700
TDD: 863-413-2700
Website: https://www.peacerivercenter.org/
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Kylie McGivern works tirelessly to get results for the people of Tampa Bay. Her reporting has exposed flaws in Florida’s corrections system and unemployment process. Reach out to Kylie and our I-Team if you need help holding state leaders accountable.
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