Deputy’s scheduled appearance uncertain

FORT LAUDERDALE — A showdown could be in the works between a Florida sheriff and a disgraced deputy.

Scot Peterson, the Broward Sheriff ’s deputy who did not storm Marjory Stoneman Douglas High to search for the gunman during the Feb. 14 mass shooting, is scheduled to give testimony at 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 10 before a fact-finding commission investigating the killings. The panel is chaired by Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri.

But Peterson may not show up, given that the state says he’s also under criminal investigation for his conduct.

Under the 5th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, a person cannot be forced to give testimony that could be used against him in a criminal case.

If Peterson does not appear before the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Commission on Oct. 10, he could be brought before a judge, Gualtieri said.

The commission has the right under law to ask a Broward Circuit Court judge to force Peterson to testify, or give a good reason as to why he should not be held in contempt of court for refusing to answer the panel’s questions.

Gualtieri said he hopes Peterson will “do the right thing,” and appear before the commission.

Asked if he would attend, Peterson’s lawyer, Joseph A. DiRuzzo, said Tuesday, “No comment.”

The commission has been sharing information with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which was ordered by Gov. Rick Scott in late February to review law enforcement’s response to the Parkland school shooting.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel reported in September that that probe is now considered a criminal investigation.

Peterson and several other deputies who were on scene and heard gunfire were widely criticized for not quickly rushing into the building.

They took cover, saying they were not sure where the shots were coming from.

Peterson was forced to resign.

The commission on Tuesday released agendas for its public meetings, Oct. 9 to 11. The panel will meet at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Sunrise, across from the Sawgrass Mills Mall.

The Oct. 10 schedule leads off with Peterson, but also notes that if he does not appear, the members will instead go into closed session for the full day to hear presentations about the shooter’s actions before the murders and how the police reacted to the crisis.

The panel must produce a report to the state Legislature by Jan. 1 outlining systemic failures in mental health care, school policies, and police response surrounding the massacre of 17 students and educators.