Video shows officer at Parkland shooting failed to act
MIAMI: Florida authorities released security footage appearing to confirm that an exdeputy failed to take action during last month’s school shooting massacre that left 17 people dead.
The surveillance video shows Scot Peterson, whom President Donald Trump dubbed a ‘coward’ in the attack’s aftermath, arriving at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School but standing outside rather than entering.
The images do not show the carnage that Nikolas Cruz, 19, carried out with an assault rifle.
But they do expose the 54-yearold Peterson’s failure to respond, authorities say.
“The video speaks for itself,” the Broward County Sheriff’s Office said.
“We welcomed the court’s decision to release the video of Deputy Scot Peterson’s actions on Feb 14,” the office’s statement said, saying the ex-officer’s “actions were enough to warrant an internal affairs investigation.”
“After being suspended without pay, Peterson chose to resign and immediately retired rather than face possible termination.”
The footage shows a man, identified by police as Peterson, at 2.23pm, approaching the wall of the school’s Building 12 and standing there for several minutes.
On Feb 22, Sheriff Scott Israel disclosed that Peterson, who was assigned to monitor the campus, had not entered the building to try and thwart the massacre.
Israel made clear he believed the deputy’s actions were negligent, suspending him without pay. Shortly thereafter, Peterson resigned.
Following Israel’s comments, Trump attacked the deputy by name the next day, saying he either froze or was a ‘coward.’
Peterson broke his silence via his lawyer nearly two weeks after the shooting. — AFP