Former school resource officer disproved argument that police belong in schools
A South Florida jury acquitted Scot Peterson of child-neglect and culpable negligence charges Thursday, more than five years after the former Parkland, Fla., school resource officer was branded a “coward” for not doing enough to stop the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 people and injured 17 others while he stood at a safe distance.
Six jurors deliberated for more than 19 hours over four days at the Broward County Courthouse after closing arguments ended Monday in the trial of Peterson, the first U.S. law enforcement officer tried in connection with a school shooting.
The acquittal of Peterson concluded the first trial in U.S. history of a law enforcement officer charged with crimes for misconduct during an on-campus shooting.
Peterson, 60, was accused of failing to confront the Parkland gunman for roughly 45 minutes as the then-deadliest high school shooting in American history unfolded on Feb. 14, 2018.
Peterson, whom some victims’ families and former colleagues dubbed “the Coward of Broward,” was charged with seven counts of felony child neglect and three of culpable negligence — all of which came from the 10 people who were wounded or killed during the attack on the third floor of the high school’s 1200 building.
Peterson, who could have faced a prison sentence of nearly 100 years for each count of child neglect, cried as the judge read “not guilty” to each count.
“I’ve got my life back,” Peterson told reporters after the verdict.
Peterson did not testify during the trial, which lasted almost two weeks in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., less than 30 miles from the site of the 2018 attack.
His attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, built a defense focused on the testimony of deputies, teachers and students who said in court that they did not know where the shots were coming from.
Peterson has long insisted that there was nothing else he could have done to prevent the shooting, contending that the lack of information, the failure of the sheriff’s radio system and the echo of gunfire made it impossible to determine where the shooting was coming from.
“The prosecutors tried to sacrifice and pursue baseless charges against a man who did everything he could with the limited information he had under the most stressful of circumstances,” Eiglarsh told The Washington Post after the verdict.
Prosecutors brought up other law enforcement officers, teachers and students who said they knew where Nikolas Cruz was shooting and were baffled that Peterson did not know and “chose to run.”
Another witness called by state attorneys was Broward County Detective John Curcio, who led the investigation into the massacre. Curcio testified that Peterson did not follow the protocols in place for confronting a gunman during a mass shooting, saying Peterson’s duty amid the chaos was “to stop [Cruz] from killing people.”
Broward State Attorney Harold F. Pryor said in a statement that he was disappointed in the acquittal, and rejected claims that prosecutors made Peterson’s case a political one.
“It is not political to expect someone to do their job. Especially when it’s the vital job of being a school resource officer — an armed law enforcement officer with special duties and responsibilities to the children and staff members they are contracted to protect,” Pryor said. “Scot Peterson’s inaction and the misinformation he provided to law enforcement officers had a dire impact on the children and adults who died or were injured on the third floor of the 1200 Building.”
The ineffectiveness demonstrated by Peterson and the dozens of officers who bungled a response to a massacre in Uvalde, Texas, has disrupted arguments that police in schools can make children safer.
While these examples undermine arguments in favor of placing police in schools, critics have asserted that there are many reasons why money should not be wasted on hiring cops to combat crime in classrooms.
Police presence in schools has led to increased arrests of students, especially students of color. Studies have shown that students who are exposed to police in schools are more likely to be arrested for minor offenses, such as disorderly conduct or fighting.
This can have a negative impact on students’ educational outcomes and can lead them to become involved in the criminal justice system at a young age.
Police presence in schools can create a climate of fear and intimidation, especially for students of color. Students may feel like they are being treated like criminals, even if they have not done anything wrong. This can make it difficult for them to learn and can lead to increased stress and anxiety.
Officers assigned to schools are not always trained to deal with the complex needs of young people. They may be more likely to use force than other school personnel, and they may not be familiar with restorative justice or other alternative methods of conflict resolution.
The presence of police in schools can contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline. This is the phenomenon of students being funneled into the criminal justice system at a young age, often for minor offenses. This can have a lifelong impact on students’ educational and employment opportunities.