Title: Parkland Officer Scot Peterson Found Not Guilty in Connection with School Shooting
Date: June 29, 2023
Author: Alex Sundby
In a highly anticipated verdict, Scot Peterson, the former sheriff’s deputy who failed to confront the gunman during the deadly Parkland shooting in 2018, has been found not guilty of child neglect and other charges. The jury deliberated for several days before delivering the 11 not guilty verdicts.
Peterson, now 60 years old, was charged in connection with the deaths and injuries that occurred on an upper floor of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School during the attack by gunman Nikolas Cruz. As the verdict was read in court, Peterson was visibly emotional, sobbing at the news.
After the proceedings, Peterson spoke to reporters, expressing his relief at the outcome. He emphasized that the blame for the massacre lies solely with the shooter, stating, “We did the best we could with the information we had, and God knows we wish we had more.”
When asked about the victims’ families, Peterson expressed his willingness to meet with them, saying, “I would love to talk to them… I’ll be there for them.” However, Tony Montalto, whose 14-year-old daughter Gina was killed in the shooting, expressed disappointment with the verdict, stating that he had hoped for “some measure of accountability” from the jury.
Peterson’s attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, hailed the verdict as a victory for law enforcement officers across the country. He criticized the prosecutors for attempting to second-guess the actions of police officers, calling them “honorable” and “decent.”
The acquittal of Peterson has sparked mixed reactions. Cameron Kasky, a Parkland student and advocate for stricter gun control measures, took to Instagram to express his frustration, writing, “Cops run away from shootings. They get away with it. There is no accountability for cops.”
Surveillance footage presented during the trial showed Peterson failing to confront the gunman and instead hiding for approximately 48 minutes. However, he was not charged in connection with the 11 people who were killed on the first floor before he arrived at the scene. Prosecutors argued that Peterson could have taken action to stop the shooter.
The verdict comes more than a year after a similar incident in Uvalde, Texas, where authorities were criticized for not acting sooner in response to a school shooting that claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers. Peterson’s lawyer rejected comparisons between his client’s case and the Uvalde incident, stating that Peterson did not know precisely where the shots were coming from.
Following the Parkland shooting, Peterson retired from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and was retroactively fired in 2019. The trial and its outcome have reignited debates about the responsibilities of law enforcement officers in active shooter situations and the accountability they should face.
As the nation grapples with the aftermath of yet another high-profile trial, the Parkland community continues to mourn the lives lost and seek justice for the tragedy that unfolded on February 14, 2018.Parkland officer Scot Peterson found not guilty
Scot Peterson, the former sheriff’s deputy who was present at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School during the deadly Parkland shooting in 2018 but did not confront the gunman, has been found not guilty of child neglect and other charges. The verdict was delivered on Thursday after the jury had deliberated since Monday.
Peterson, now 60 years old, was charged in connection with the deaths and injuries that occurred on an upper floor of the building during the attack by gunman Nikolas Cruz. As the 11 not guilty verdicts were read in court, Peterson was seen sobbing. Speaking to reporters after the proceedings, he expressed relief and stated that he felt like he had “got my life back.”
However, the verdict has been met with mixed reactions. Tony Montalto, whose 14-year-old daughter Gina was killed on the first floor, expressed disappointment and stated that he had hoped for “some measure of accountability” from the jury. Montalto is the president of the school-safety reform group Stand with Parkland. On the other hand, Peterson’s attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, called the verdict a victory for all law enforcement officers in the country and criticized the prosecutors for second-guessing the actions of police officers.
In response to the verdict, Cameron Kasky, a Parkland student who has been advocating for stricter gun control measures, posted a headline about Peterson’s acquittal on Instagram and expressed his frustration, stating, “Cops run away from shootings. They get away with it. There is no accountability for cops.”
Peterson, who was the only armed school resource officer on campus at the time of the shooting, was charged in 2019, more than a year after the attack took place. Surveillance video showed that he did not confront the gunman and a public safety commission found that he hid for about 48 minutes. However, Peterson was not charged in connection with the 11 people who were killed on the first floor before he arrived on the scene. Prosecutors argued that he could have tried to stop the gunman.
The verdict comes more than a year after another school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, where authorities were criticized for not acting sooner. Peterson’s lawyer rejected comparisons between his client and the response in Uvalde, stating that Peterson did not know precisely where the shots were coming from.
Following the Parkland shooting, Peterson retired from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and was retroactively fired in 2019. The acquittal of Peterson has sparked further debate and discussion about the responsibilities and actions of law enforcement officers in active shooter situations.
