‘Coward of Broward’ Trial Starts for Deputy Who Didn’t Confront Parkland Mass Shooter
Five years after the Parkland mass shooting that left 17 dead, the former Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School resource officer accused of failing to confront the teenage gunman faced trial on Wednesday.
“In an active shooter situation, [police] are trained to go towards the shots because people are dying…so you can stop the killing,” Assistant State Attorney Steven Klinger told Broward County jurors during his opening statements. “Seventeen beautiful people were lost.”
Scot Peterson, now-known as the “the coward of Broward,” has pleaded not guilty to several counts, including child neglect and perjury, for his failed response during the February 14, 2018 massacre in Parkland, Florida. Prosecutors allege that the ex-Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy failed to follow active shooting training and remained outside the three-story Parkland, Florida building for about 48 minutes.