Former officer charged for not responding to Florida school shooting

[webfact]

Former officer charged for not responding to Florida school shooting

By Brendan O'Brien

 

FILE PHOTO - Then-Broward County Sheriff's Deputy Scot Peterson, who was assigned to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School during the February 14, 2018 shooting, is seen in this still image captured from the school surveillance video released by Broward County Sheriff's Office in Florida, U.S. on March 15, 2018. Broward County Sheriff's Office/Handout via REUTERS

 

(Reuters) - A former Florida sheriff's deputy was arrested on Tuesday on multiple felony and misdemeanour charges stemming from his lack of response during the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that left 17 dead, the county sheriff said.

 

Scot Peterson, 56, who was taken into custody, faces multiple counts of child neglect, culpable negligence and perjury, Broward County State Attorney Mike Satz said in a statement. The charges carry a combined maximum prison sentence of nearly 97 years, he said.

 

Peterson, at the time a Broward County deputy, was on duty as a school resource officer when a gunman entered the school building on Feb. 14, 2018, and opened fire. He never went inside during the shooting and 17 people died and 17 others were wounded, according to the sheriff's office and surveillance video.

 

Nikolas Cruz, who was 19 at the time and previously had been expelled from the school, was charged with the murders. He is awaiting trial.

 

Peterson also faces legal trouble in civil court. In May 2018, Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow was killed in the shooting, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Peterson. His son Hunter said on Twitter that he hoped Peterson spends the rest of his life in prison.

 

"He cowered in Parkland while my sister died defenceless and lied about his failure to confront the shooter," he said.

 

Peterson's lawyer in the civil lawsuit, Joseph DiRuzzo, did not respond to a request for comment.

 

DEPUTIES FIRED

Peterson was booked into the Broward County jail and his bond set at $102,000.

 

Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony said on Tuesday he had fired Peterson and another deputy, Brian Miller, who he said neglected their duties during the shooting.

 

"We cannot fulfil our commitment to always protect the security and safety of our Broward County community without doing a thorough assessment of what went wrong that day," Tony said in a statement.

 

Peterson resigned a week after the shooting. But his and Miller's termination means they can no longer serve as law enforcement deputies for the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the sheriff said.

 

Peterson's arrest follows a 14-month investigation that included interviews of 184 witnesses into law enforcement's response during the shooting.

 

Some Broward County sheriff's deputies held back too long as shots were fired instead of rushing towards the gunfire, according to a 485-page report released in January 2019 by a state-appointed commission.

 

The commission also found Broward County Sheriff's Office training on active shooters was inadequate. The commission recommended arming teachers and spending more on school security and mental health to prevent similar mass shootings.

 

SEVEN UNDER INVESTIGATION

Seven deputies in all were under an internal sheriff's office investigation to determine if their actions complied with department standards, Tony said.

Broward County Public Schools officials were not immediately available for comment.

 

Senator Rick Scott, who was governor of Florida when the shooting happened, said it was time for justice to be served.

 

"Had this individual done his job, lives would have been saved. Actions (or inaction) have consequences," he said in a statement.

 

Three weeks after the shooting, Scott signed into law on Friday a bill imposing a 21-year-old legal age requirement and three-day waiting period on all gun purchases and allowing the arming of some school employees.

 

(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago and Peter Szekely in New York; Editing by Bill Tarrant and Richard Chang)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-06-05

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[Tug]

That’s vengeance not law don’t you think that man has more regret than a human could possibly bear?

[Sealbash]

That’s vengeance not law don’t you think that man has more regret than a human could possibly bear?

If it is not law then he will win his court case


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Boon Mee]

Amazing it took this long to charge him with the obvious. 

The man is clearly a coward. 

[mercman24]

and every day we see many cops call for back up as they are outgunned. as this man obviously was. so are all these cowards also.  a very sad event.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

3 hours ago, Tug said:

That’s vengeance not law don’t you think that man has more regret than a human could possibly bear?

 

Doesn't matter.  Duty is duty and an example must be set.   Don't be a law enforcement officer then, go farm chickens somewhere.

[Tug]

2 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

Amazing it took this long to charge him with the obvious. 

The man is clearly a coward. 

I’m sure that man is deeply remorseful that being said does that mean your idol cadet bone spurs could be brought up on charges of cowardice?

[from the home of CC]

30 minutes ago, WinnieTheKhwai said:

 

Doesn't matter.  Duty is duty and an example must be set.   Don't be a law enforcement officer then, go farm chickens somewhere.

yes, he took the paycheck and he knew the job description..

[mtls2005]

13 minutes ago, HuskerDo said:

The Constitution allows people to own guns and the gentlemen that wrote the Constitution were far smarter than any Politicians in todays world. 

 

Sure, I'll spot you a muzzle-loading musket and pistol, heck even a cannon (good luck sneaking that into a school), with or without membership in a well-regulated militia.

 

Suspect they'd be in a tizzy, or at least posting their regrets on social media (#SAD), were they to witness the perversion of their second amendment. Which by the way only occurred over the last ~60-ish years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 5, 2019 by mtls2005

[sungod]

1 hour ago, mercman24 said:

and every day we see many cops call for back up as they are outgunned. as this man obviously was. so are all these cowards also.  a very sad event.

Think I would call for back up too if I hand a hand gun and the other guy a semi auto rifle.

[Chomper Higgot]

Perhaps he can get his local preacher to give evidence that he came to church and offered thoughts and prayers for the victims of what is somebody else's crime.

[Proboscis]

9 hours ago, WinnieTheKhwai said:

 

Doesn't matter.  Duty is duty and an example must be set.   Don't be a law enforcement officer then, go farm chickens somewhere.

This is what happens when schools for children become FRONTLINE.

 

Frontline used to be a war situation where only volunteers would be sent. In extreme cases, conscription was instituted when there was an existential threat (or in the USA where there was no existential threat but a need for working class kids with no influence and not enough money for education - eg Vietnam War).

 

But now we are setting up our schools to be the Frontline! Really! Where the teachers and security guards have to be heros or go to jail? And our kids are the gun-fodder?

[atyclb]

3 hours ago, WinnieTheKhwai said:

 

Doesn't matter.  Duty is duty and an example must be set.   Don't be a law enforcement officer then, go farm chickens somewhere.

 

agree

 

 

In this great future, 
you can't forget your past;
So dry your tears, I seh.

[the guest]

Very sad that a county like the USA has not revoked the "right to bear arms". Can you imagine how many lives could have been saved if civilians didn't have firearms?

 

[sqwakvfr]

Before the Columbine High massacre(1999) Law Enforcement protocol was to wait for the SWAT/SET who have high powered weapons and let them enter.  But most departments changed operational policy to allow the first responding officer(s) to enter and confront the shooter/shooters.  In short, prevent a mass killing.  No Police Department or Sheriffs Department can require someone to go on a suicide mission but the people I used to work with would go in or at lest wait for an additional officer to go in.   It can take a SWAT/SET sometimes an hour to suit up and make a tactical entry.  By then it is too late.  

 

What is truly said was Deputy Peterson was assigned to this school and knew many of the students and staff.  

 

[atyclb]

1 hour ago, the guest said:

Very sad that a county like the USA has not revoked the "right to bear arms". Can you imagine how many lives could have been saved if civilians didn't have firearms?

 

 

regarding gun control that takes away self defense rights from decent people while criminals will always obtain weapons.

  "The New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act of 2013, commonly known as theNY SAFE Act, is a gun regulation law in the state ofNew York. The law was passed by the New YorkState Legislature and was signed into law by Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo in January 2013.

 

 

 

 

[oldrunner]

So many "contributors" get off subject and/or have no idea of which they pontificate. An Officer is trained to call for "back up" and THEN proceed against the threat. ......And Can't you leave the President of the United States out of your feeble mind,

Former Special Agent

[metisdead]

Off topic posts and replies have been removed. 

[Tomahawk21]

7 hours ago, mercman24 said:

and every day we see many cops call for back up as they are outgunned. as this man obviously was. so are all these cowards also.  a very sad event.

i think until you are in the same position you cant really tell how you or i would behave. very sad all around.

[utalkin2me]

The thing I do not like about this is people are emotional and looking for someone to blame. Then the local government officials score points by prosecuting someone like this, who is getting heat from victims and family. 

 

It is too emotional, and there are too many people just trying to score political points who are losing objectivity. 

[LongTang]

11 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

Amazing it took this long to charge him with the obvious. 

The man is clearly a coward. 

 

In such tragic cases its better to keep ones mouth shut and not state the obvious, AS one can never know how would he truly acted himself.

 

[Sujo]

On 6/5/2019 at 7:34 AM, Sealbash said:

If it is not law then he will win his court case


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

Yes he most likely will win. Its settled supreme court law that officers have no constitutional duty to protect. As bad as that is, its the law. He cant be charged over the duty of care or endangering the kids as he is not a caregiver.

 

the only issue for him is making a false statement after the fact.

 

As another post said, this is only revenge. Just looking to blame someone. That being the case, go after the NRA.

 

[GroveHillWanderer]

20 minutes ago, Sujo said:

He cant be charged over the duty of care or endangering the kids as he is not a caregiver.

The authorities in Florida are trying to claim otherwise.

 

Quote

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Richard Swearingen insisted after the hearing that Peterson was “technically qualified as a caregiver under statute.”

 

“So, when he failed to act, he failed to fulfill his duties of being a caregiver,” he said. “They decided there were seven felony counts under that statute.”

In the same article however, there are several opinions from legal experts disagreeing with this interpretation.

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/charging-ex-parkland-security-officer-scot-peterson-child-neglect-could-n1014231

Edited June 6, 2019 by GroveHillWanderer