School Cop Absconds During Shooting - Now Faces Trial for Criminal Neglect

[Rhea]

I am not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, walking into gunfire is a terrifying thing. On the other hand, that’s what he was hired to do. He just didn’t think he’d ever have to do it. It seems less clear than Uvalde where there were multiple cops to work together. And yet, the cops are always telling us, “we have to face the risk of death every day,” but Peterson chose not to.


Link to NYT article, probably paywalled - some excerpts below

During closing arguments on Monday, prosecutors asked jurors to hold Scot Peterson, a 60-year-old former sheriff’s deputy, accountable for standing by during the Feb. 14, 2018, massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, when he was the school’s only armed resource officer.

“Every student and every teacher on the third floor was still alive” when Mr. Peterson reached the building being targeted by the gunman, said Kristen Gomes, an assistant state attorney for Broward County. “And Scot Peterson chose to run.”

.

Mark Eiglarsh, Mr. Peterson’s defense lawyer, countered that Mr. Peterson did not know where the shots were coming from or how many shooters there were, and said that he had acted by calling a schoolwide “code red.” Mr. Eiglarsh also argued that his client was scapegoated by the Broward Sheriff’s Office, which faced intense scrutiny after the shooting.

Mr. Eiglarsh pointed to a photo of the gunman. “We’re here because of that monster,” he said, adding, “He did it.”

.

Mr. Peterson faces seven felony child neglect charges and three misdemeanor charges in relation to deaths and injuries on the third floor of the building, which prosecutors argued he had a chance to stop. He also faces a perjury charge; prosecutors claimed that he lied to the police when he said he heard only a few gunshots and saw no children fleeing.

.

The head of a training unit testified that Mr. Peterson had received training to confront a gunman.

 

[Jason Harvestdancer]

That he is being held to account is why this is a new story. "Dog bites man" is not news, "man bites dog" is news. It has been established for a long time that police have no duty to protect, only to attempt to find the person responsible if a crime is committed.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

police have no duty to protect

He was hired as a security officer, not a cop.

 

[Rhea]

That he is being held to account is why this is a new story. "Dog bites man" is not news, "man bites dog" is news. It has been established for a long time that police have no duty to protect, only to attempt to find the person responsible if a crime is committed.

Then why did they give him training in stopping a shooter? Why not just train him to call an ambulance?

 

[laughing dog]

That he is being held to account is why this is a new story. "Dog bites man" is not news, "man bites dog" is news. It has been established for a long time that police have no duty to protect, only to attempt to find the person responsible if a crime is committed.

Then why did they give him training in stopping a shooter? Why not just train him to call an ambulance?

Or a hearst.

 

[TomC]

"Mr. Eiglarsh also argued that his client was scapegoated by the Broward Sheriff’s Office, which faced intense scrutiny after the shooting.

Mr. Eiglarsh pointed to a photo of the gunman. “We’re here because of that monster,” he said, adding, “He did it.” "

I can't help but think that these are crucial points. I feel bad for everyone involved, including Peterson.
Tom

 

[Patooka]

If nothing else this should finally put to bed the bullshit argument more guns makes kids safer.

Why the fuck are so many of you laughing?

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Perjury only. Effectively the state of Florida allowed the shooter, who had a history of mental health issues, to legally purchase weapons he likely intended to use to murder minors. The state of Flordia is responsible for that and the insanely ridiculous pro gun lobby laws that allowed this to happen.

The security officer at the site should go to prison after they put up the legislators who enabled this mass murder to happen are put on trial.

The security officer acted cowardly, but unlike the State Legialature, he was adjacent to the murders, not tucked away elsewhere in the Capitol.

 

[southernhybrid]

I'm going to gift the article so you all can read the entire thing. I have quite a few "gifted" articles left his month so please read the entire thing, as it gives some information that might help give more clarity to this dreadful situation.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/26/...mLN2BxjFFIsXWpb4wcU2A6DK0zonFu&smid=url-share

Mark Eiglarsh, Mr. Peterson’s defense lawyer, countered that Mr. Peterson did not know where the shots were coming from or how many shooters there were, and said that he had acted by calling a schoolwide “code red.” Mr. Eiglarsh also argued that his client was scapegoated by the Broward Sheriff’s Office, which faced intense scrutiny after the shooting.

Mr. Eiglarsh pointed to a photo of the gunman. “We’re here because of that monster,” he said, adding, “He did it.”

By charging Mr. Peterson, prosecutors brought a novel legal approach to the question of what society expects of law enforcement officers, and the outcome of the trial could have effects well beyond Florida. For example, there are investigations into the police in Uvalde, Texas, where officers waited more than an hour before entering two classrooms at Robb Elementary School during a May 2022 shooting in which 21 people were killed.

Many witnesses said that it was very hard to know where the shots were coming from. I think this is a very difficult case. I agree that our gun laws are insane and are becoming more insane, but that's not the issue here. The issue is should a man, who was more or less a security guard be charged with child abuse, for not trying to confront a shooter in a school, when he had no back up police to help him.

The article doesn't mention what type of gun the shooter was using. To me, that's important. If he was using an AR-15 or something like that, I can imagine it would take an enormous amount of courage to confront the shooter and if he did, he'd probably also be shot. So, yes. It's hard to say if he could have done anything to stop this horrible crime. This is very different from the Uvalde situation, imo.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Many witnesses said that it was very hard to know where the shots were coming from. I think this is a very difficult case. I agree that our gun laws are insane and are becoming more insane, but that's not the issue here.

I disagree, it is very much the issue. This case is about secondary blame for the mass murder of minors. They caught the shooter and he is done with living on the outside most likely, for the rest of his life. So now the powers that be want more flesh. The security guard is a nice target. He was on-site, should have confronted the heavily armed and armored shooter and tried to end the shooting. Of course, that is a tad bit easier said than done.

The shooter had a history of mental health issues and should not have been allowed to buy a gun at all. But the right-wing has its tomgue up the gun lobby's ass, they can taste what Wayne LaPierre is eating. And as a result, a mentally unwell 18 year old is able to purchase way too much gun power and armor.

The issue is should a man, who was more or less a security guard be charged with child abuse, for not trying to confront a shooter in a school, when he had no back up police to help him.

And this is ignoring the hindsight of knowing where the shooter was, and that there was only one shooter. When the police are contacted to deal with this situation, they don't send one car, with one officer, armed with a baton to deal with the mass shooter. They bring everything they've got. Why? Because it isn't easy to take down a well armed person.

So, this IS about the gun laws, because they are responsible, again, for providing the wrong people with the wrong weaponry and armor. Now, I know nothing of the security guard. I don't know if he too had a The Punisher wallpaper on his smart phone. But regardless, that man know jack all about the situation, was grossly under armed for the situation, and more likely well undertrained to deal with it.

Security guards for mass shootings are the GOP's and Gun Lobby's solution... and it was a shitty one, as this situation attests. This isn't about a cowardly secuirty guard, it was about a situation where that guard knew nothing about the situation at the school and is being charged with not confronting the shooter(s).

That is absolutely absurd. He should be charged with lying to police and investigators, but that is about the end of his criminal behavior. The state of Florida and the GOP should get their heads out of their asses and realize one barely armed person with limited training isn't a match for an unknown shooting situation.

 

[southernhybrid]

Many witnesses said that it was very hard to know where the shots were coming from. I think this is a very difficult case. I agree that our gun laws are insane and are becoming more insane, but that's not the issue here.

I disagree, it is very much the issue. This case is about secondary blame for the mass murder of minors. They caught the shooter and he is done with living on the outside most likely, for the rest of his life. So now the powers that be want more flesh. The security guard is a nice target. He was on-site, should have confronted the heavily armed and armored shooter and tried to end the shooting. Of course, that is a tad bit easier said than done.

The shooter had a history of mental health issues and should not have been allowed to buy a gun at all. But the right-wing has its tomgue up the gun lobby's ass, they can taste what Wayne LaPierre is eating. And as a result, a mentally unwell 18 year old is able to purchase way too much gun power and armor.

The issue is should a man, who was more or less a security guard be charged with child abuse, for not trying to confront a shooter in a school, when he had no back up police to help him.

And this is ignoring the hindsight of knowing where the shooter was, and that there was only one shooter. When the police are contacted to deal with this situation, they don't send one car, with one officer, armed with a baton to deal with the mass shooter. They bring everything they've got. Why? Because it isn't easy to take down a well armed person.

So, this IS about the gun laws, because they are responsible, again, for providing the wrong people with the wrong weaponry and armor. Now, I know nothing of the security guard. I don't know if he too had a The Punisher wallpaper on his smart phone. But regardless, that man know jack all about the situation, was grossly under armed for the situation, and more likely well undertrained to deal with it.

Security guards for mass shootings are the GOP's and Gun Lobby's solution... and it was a shitty one, as this situation attests. This isn't about a cowardly secuirty guard, it was about a situation where that guard knew nothing about the situation at the school and is being charged with not confronting the shooter(s).

That is absolutely absurd. He should be charged with lying to police and investigators, but that is about the end of his criminal behavior. The state of Florida and the GOP should get their heads out of their asses and realize one barely armed person with limited training isn't a match for an unknown shooting situation.

I don't really disagree with what you've posted, for the most part. My only point was that many witnesses said that nobody seemed to know where the shots were coming from. It's obvious that the cop wasn't fit for the job, but I don't see it as the same as Uvalde because there were a large number of police there who did absolutely nothing when they knew what was going on. This guy seemed pretty clueless and the article lacks a lot of details imo,

Of course, the shooter should never have had a gun. In fact, if I had the power, I'd get rid of every fucking gun in our fucked up gun loving country. I hate guns and I despise the 2nd amendment, which was basically written to give slave owners the right to shoot their slaves, based on what I've read. But, sadly, nothing is going to change anytime soon and yes, the GOP have become autocratic monsters, with very few exceptions, but that's not what I thought this thread was about.

But, it will be up to a jury to decide the cop's fate. We're just trying to figure out what the hell happened and did the article say how the shooter got into the school? I don't remember reading that, but I did skim it, so I might have missed something.