On April 3, 2020, Broward deputy Shannon Bennett, 39, died from COVID-19 which he contracted in the line of duty. As of April 5, more than a dozen Sheriff's Office employees had tested positive. On April 7, Deputy Union president Jeff Bell published a column in the "Sun Sentinel", accusing Tony of poor leadership and specifically not providing deputies with sufficient personal protective equipment, a charge Tony denied in a news conference held the same day. Tony referred to Bell as a "rogue employee", who, although a deputy, works full time for the union and "hasn't worn a uniform in years". Tony described Bell's actions as "dishonorable" because of his attempt, in Tony's words, for using Bennett's death "to politicize and capitalize on a moment when we lost one of our own".