Parkland Ex-Deputy Arrested For Child Neglect After Not Entering School During Shooting

Scot Peterson is facing seven counts of child neglect and three counts of culpable negligence more than a year after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting.
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A former Broward County Sheriff’s Deputy has been arrested on more than ten charges related to his failure to enter a Parkland high school in Florida last year as a gunman killed students inside.

Police arrested former deputy Scot Peterson, 56, Tuesday on “seven counts of neglect of a child and three counts of culpable negligence and one count of perjury,” according to a statement released by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to HuffPost.

“All the facts related to Mr. Peterson’s failure to act during the [Marjory Stoneman Douglas] massacre clearly warranted both termination of employment and criminal charges,” Sheriff Gregory Tony said in the statement. “It’s never too late for accountability and justice.”

Peterson, who was a school resource officer, resigned from the department last year following video and audio released by the Sheriff’s office that showed his inaction as a shooter fired inside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, killing 17 people. In a separate statement, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office announced it also fired Sergeant Brian Miller for neglected duties during the shooting.

“This will haunt me for the rest of my life,” Peterson told the Today Show in June of last year.

In the statement, FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen said there was “no excuse for [Peterson’s] complete inaction and no question that his inaction cost lives.”

Peterson was arrested after the FDLE’s 15-month investigation into the shooting found he “did absolutely nothing” to stop the attack, Swearingen said.

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