CBS Miami’s Carey Codd reports on the school resource deputy from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School resigned after being suspended for his actions during the deadly shooting (VIDEO full conference below).
The Broward County Sheriff’s deputy, assigned as school resource officer and on scene on February 14, 2018 at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida during the mass shooting that killed 17 people, has been suspended without pay.
The deputy resigned Thursday morning February 22, 2018 after being suspended without pay, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel announced.
Israel said that Deputy Scott Peterson was outside of the building during the time of the shooting. According to Sheriff Israel, video evidence suggested that Peterson remained outside for four minutes, while the entire mass shooting lasted an estimated six minutes.
“Scott Peterson was absolutely on campus through this entire event. He was armed, he was in uniform. After seeing video, witness statements, and Scott Peterson’s very own statement, I decided this morning to suspend Scott Peterson without pay pending an internal investigation. As is his right, Scott Peterson chose to resign.”
— Broward County Scott Israel
Israel claimed that Peterson “clearly” knew there was a shooting, and was seen doing “nothing” on video. During the press conference, Israel added that there were no known issues with communication, and that video showed Peterson arriving at the west side of the building where the shooting took place. Israel said, Peterson took up a position but “never went in.”
During a question and answer period, when Israel was asked which law enforcement agency went in first, he said, it “doesn’t matter who went in first” or “what order you went in … What matters is that when we, in law enforcement, arrive at an active shooter, we go in and address the target.” The Broward County sheriff added, “and that’s what should’ve been done.”
Two other deputies from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office have been placed on restrictive duty as officials investigate “whether or not they could have done more, should’ve done more.”
In 2014, Broward County Sheriff Deputy Scott Peterson was named School Resource Officer of the Year in Parkland. The school district at that time stated “Deputy Peterson has proven to be reliable in handling issues with tact and judgment.”
Peterson will be eligible for retirement following his resignation. The sheriff said that he suspended Peterson without pay pending an internal investigation, but the officer resigned and retired.
FULL CONFERENCE …
Sheriff Scott Israel gives a press conference from BSO headquarters to provide new information and details, including details about Deputy Scott Peterson and actions of two other deputies, regarding the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.