With politicians, pundits, and the public alike in the nation at large deriving every possible narrative, cause, and ‘conclusion’ possible from the Parkland, the lack of coverage regarding the one thing everyone should be able to universally condemn; the utter inadequacy and objectively pathetic conduct of Broward officer Scot Peterson.
The deservedly disgraced deputy has apparently chosen to continue his crusade of cowardice in choosing to add state commission investigations to the long list of things he runs from. For ‘Broward’s Coward’, as Peterson has become known to us locals, opted to flee from appearing before the commission assembled to investigate his, and others,’ failures in the school shooting of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High.
Instead, the deputy sent a lawyer to file a complaint in his stead despite having committed to appearing himself in person prior; though clearly the wayward Peterson cares little for reputation at this point.
The commission was left quite flabbergasted with the complete lack of appearance from the deputy, who had spent several years assigned as the armed guard of Stoneman Douglas. Peterson completely failed to engage the armed threat on campus that he was present entirely for the purpose of engaging, instead choosing to quite literally hide for nearly an hour according to security footage and audio records of police chatter, while the shooter massacred unarmed children and teachers in their classrooms.
The individual members of the committee widely vary in expertise and experience, but include parents of students killed thanks, in no small part, to the actions… or more accurately inaction… of deputy Peterson. Some of them spoke to the media mincing no words. Ryan Petty, a commission member who lost his daughter Alaina in the attack, found Peterson’s failure to show up to be consistent with the character he displayed during the shooting explaining,
“In my view, he’s not a cop, any man that would stand there while innocent children and teachers are being slaughtered for 45 minutes, I’m not surprised he wouldn’t show up.”
Max Schachter, another commission member to lose a loved one, whose son Alex was killed in the attack, was more surprised at Peterson’s absence, having expected him to at least *show up* and invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
“He‘s a piece of garbage. He could have gone in and saved six children’s lives and he chose to do nothing. After all those other officers went into the line of fire with the chance of them being killed, he stood behind a concrete pillar for 45 minutes and did nothing. He’s a despicable human being.”
Frankly, they’re right. Peterson’s choice not to show up at all wasn’t only likely illegal (he can expect a contempt charge in the future) it was downright disrespectful to the parents of the children he failed and the family of the teachers who had more courage than him despite being unequipped to do his job.
A Sleaze Ball in All Things
Full disclosure I’ve lived across the street from Douglas my whole life. I went to school there (class of ’13) as did my brother after me and my sister after him. Unfortunately, my sister would be the first to narrowly escape dying her freshman year thanks to Scot Peterson.
Despite his utter failure as a law enforcement officer – let alone man – Peterson continues to leech Broward County for a six figure pension, $8702 a month to be precise, as he inexplicably continues to escape the justice he so very richly deserves.
While the nation continues to roil amidst debates regarding school security, gun rights, and mental health; perhaps an easy place to start in terms of moving to rectify the many failings of Douglas massacre is holding the armed police officer who fled and hid from the school shooter responsible for his actions, instead of providing him with an exceedingly comfortable undeserved retirement…
The actual Douglas community would appreciate it at least.