Parkland: Police officer 'who stayed outside' during shooting arrested on charges of neglect of duty

Scot Peterson's lawyers claim he had no duty to intervene

A former Florida police officer accused of failing to confront a suspect during a now notorious school shooting, has been arrested on charges of neglect of duty. If convicted, he faces up to almost 100 years in jail.

Scot Peterson, 56, was on duty as the school resource officer at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February 2018, but is said to have not directly tried to stop an attack that killed 17 students and staff.

The arrest and charging of Mr Peterson followed a 14-month investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

“The FDLE investigation shows former deputy Peterson did absolutely nothing to mitigate the MSD shooting that killed 17 children, teachers and staff and injured 17 others,” FDLE commissioner Rick Swearingen, said in a statement.

“There can be no excuse for his complete inaction and no question that his inaction cost lives.”

Mr Peterson’s lawyers did not immediately comment after their client was detained and charged, and bail was set at $102,000. Previously, they had argued the officer, widely denounced as a coward, had not been obliged to enter the school and risk his own life, and that he had “opted for self-preservation over heroics”.

On Tuesday, relatives of those who died in the shooting again attacked Mr Peterson, who was also fired from his job.

“He should rot, that’s how I feel,” Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter, Jaime, was among those who died, told the Sun-Sentinel. “My daughter was one of the last to be shot. My daughter absolutely could have been saved by him and she wasn’t. I’m pleased an effort is being made for justice here.”

Also killed on the third floor of the high school, was geography teacher and cross-country coach Scott Beigel.

“If Scot Peterson had done his job my son would be alive today,” Linda Schulman, Beigel’s mother, told the newspaper. “One hundred-percent had he done something the active shooter would not have made it to the third floor, had he done his job, instead of standing outside like a coward. Had he done his job we wouldn‘t be having this conversation.”

Broward state attorney Mike Satz said Mr Peterson faced child neglect, culpable negligence and perjury charges that carried a combined potential prison sentence of nearly 100 years.

If Mr Peterson applies for bail, he will be required to wear a GPS monitor and surrender his passport. He will also be prohibited from possessing a firearm, the prosecutor said.

Nikolas Cruz , 20, faces the death penalty if convicted of the first-degree murder charges filed in the attack. His lawyers have said Mr Cruz would plead guilty in return for a life sentence, but prosecutors have refused that offer. He is expected to go on trial in early 2020.

The shooting triggered national outrage and inspired survivors of the incident to launch a campaign to try and force a change to the country’s gun laws. Their actions have already led to the passage of a number of bills in various states that have tightened regulations.

Additional reporting by Associated Press