Former Broward County Deputy Scot Peterson was arrested and charged on Tuesday for child neglect after an investigation into law enforcement’s response to the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that occurred last February.

Scot Peterson stood by and did nothing to stop the mass shooter who ended up killing 17 students and teachers.

Peterson, 56, was arrested on 11 charges related to the Parkland shooting.

https://mises.org/power-market/police-have-no-duty-protect-you-federal-court-affirms-yet-again

Police Have No Duty to Protect You, Federal Court Affirms Yet Again

12/20/2019
Ryan McMaken

Following last February's shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, some students claimed local government officials were at fault for failing to provide protection to students. The students filed suit, naming six defendants, including the Broward school district and the Broward Sheriff’s Office , as well as school deputy Scot Peterson and campus monitor Andrew Medina.

On Monday, though, a federal judge ruled that the government agencies " had no constitutional duty to protect students who were not in custody."

This latest decision adds to a growing body of case law establishing that government agencies — including police agencies — have no duty to provide protection to citizens in general:

[...]

Law enforcement at every level failed to stop the massacre. The Parkland shooter, Nikolas Cruz, was even on the FBI’s radar several months before he went on a shooting spree at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Gateway Pundit

Broward County police responded in accordance iwht their SOP and did nothing to stop the shooter. Coral Springs police entered the school and stopped the shooter.

Poster Comment:

He'll get off.

Police Have No Duty to Protect You, Federal Court Affirms Yet Again

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School Resource Officer Scot Peterson was not charged with failure to perform his assigned police duties. He was charged with neglect of a child, culpable negligence, and perjury.

https://www.news-press.com/story/news/crime/2019/06/04/marjory-stoneman-douglas-resource-officer-scot-peterson-charged-staying-outside-school-shooting/1343302001/

Former school resource officer Scot Peterson, 56, was arrested in Broward County on Tuesday on seven counts of neglect of a child and three counts of culpable negligence and one count of perjury. The arrest comes after a 15-month investigation into the actions of law enforcement following the mass school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

At issue will be not the policing responsibilities of Scot Peterson, but whether his relation of the children was that of a "caregiver," and whether Peterson failed in that duty as a "caregiver."

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0800-0899/0827/Sections/0827.03.html

827.03 Abuse, aggravated abuse, and neglect of a child; penalties.—

(e) “Neglect of a child” means:

1. A caregiver’s failure or omission to provide a child with the care, supervision, and services necessary to maintain the child’s physical and mental health, including, but not limited to, food, nutrition, clothing, shelter, supervision, medicine, and medical services that a prudent person would consider essential for the well-being of the child; or

2. A caregiver’s failure to make a reasonable effort to protect a child from abuse, neglect, or exploitation by another person.

Except as otherwise provided in this section, neglect of a child may be based on repeated conduct or on a single incident or omission that results in, or could reasonably be expected to result in, serious physical or mental injury, or a substantial risk of death, to a child.

(2) OFFENSES.—

(a) A person who commits aggravated child abuse commits a felony of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

(b) A person who willfully or by culpable negligence neglects a child and in so doing causes great bodily harm, permanent disability, or permanent disfigurement to the child commits a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

(c) A person who knowingly or willfully abuses a child without causing great bodily harm, permanent disability, or permanent disfigurement to the child commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

(d) A person who willfully or by culpable negligence neglects a child without causing great bodily harm, permanent disability, or permanent disfigurement to the child commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0039/Sections/0039.01.html

JUDICIAL BRANCH

Chapter 39
PROCEEDINGS RELATING TO CHILDREN

39.01 Definitions.

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(10) “Caregiver” means the parent, legal custodian, permanent guardian, adult household member, or other person responsible for a child’s welfare as defined in subsection (54).

[...]

(54) “Other person responsible for a child’s welfare” includes the child’s legal guardian or foster parent; an employee of any school, public or private child day care center, residential home, institution, facility, or agency; a law enforcement officer employed in any facility, service, or program for children that is operated or contracted by the Department of Juvenile Justice; or any other person legally responsible for the child’s welfare in a residential setting; and also includes an adult sitter or relative entrusted with a child’s care. For the purpose of departmental investigative jurisdiction, this definition does not include the following persons when they are acting in an official capacity: law enforcement officers, except as otherwise provided in this subsection; employees of municipal or county detention facilities; or employees of the Department of Corrections.

School Resource Officer Peterson was not fired, he retired one week after the shootings, with his pension.

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/briannasacks/parkland-school-shooting-officer-pension

The Officer Who Waited Outside During The Parkland Shooting Will Get A Pension Of More Than $8,000 Each Month

Scot Peterson retired from the Broward County Sheriff's Office after facing criticism for his response during the massacre. Now he's getting a hefty pension check.

Brianna Sacks BuzzFeed News Reporter

Last updated on May 16, 2018, at 10:40 a.m. ET

Posted on May 16, 2018, at 10:23 a.m. ET

Last month, Peterson received his first monthly pension check of $8,702.35, the Florida Department of Management Services confirmed Wednesday morning. That amounts to $104,428.20 annually, which is about $2,550 more than he made during his last year with the department, according to the Sun Sentinel, which first reported his pension payment Tuesday night.

He began receiving his monthly payment after Broward County State Attorney Michael Satz verified that "there were no charges filed against Mr. Peterson that would cause him to forfeit those benefits per Florida law," the office said in a statement to BuzzFeed News.

The Public Safety Commission Report makes painfully clear that the Broward County SOP (unlike Coral Springs) stated that, "the sole deputy or a team of deputies may enter the area and/or structure to preserve life."

Also, 'Sheriff Israel defended use of the word "may" stating that he wanted his deputies to exercise discretion and he did not want them engaging in suicide missions.' Building entry was intentionally made optional at the discretion of the deputies. Whatever one may think of the discretionary inaction of SRO Peterson, he did not violate the SOP issued by Sheriff Scott Israel, leaving prosecutors to grope for something with which to charge Scot Peterson.

https://www.trbas.com/media/media/acrobat/2018-12/70135058816260-12074125.pdf">

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
Public Safety Commission

Initial Report
Submitted to the Governor,
Speaker of the House of Representatives and
Senate President

January 1, 2019

CHAPTER 6. OFF CAMPUS LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE

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[185]

6.3 Active Assailant Response Policies and Training BSO and CSPD

The Broward Sheriff’s Office

The Broward Sheriff’s Office Active Shooter policy (SOP 4.37) states: “If real time intelligence exists the sole deputy or a team of deputies may enter the area and/or structure to preserve life. A supervisor’s approval or on-site observation is not required for this decision.” The policy states that the deputy contact team will continue until the subject

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[186]

has surrendered, barricaded himself, the subject’s hostilities have been stopped or the contact team has been relieved by SWAT. This policy was revised on March 28, 2016. The Coral Springs Police Department active shooter policy (General Order #221) states: “If real time intelligence exists the sole officer or team of officers shall enter the area and/or structure to preserve life and they will be referred to as the contact officer/team.” A significant difference between the two policies is found in two small words. BSO states that deputies “may” pursue the threat while CSPD’s policy stated officers “shall” pursue the threat. In his testimony to the Commission, Sheriff Israel defended use of the word “may” stating that he wanted his deputies to exercise discretion and he did not want them engaging in suicide missions.

The policy of both agencies identifies threat level zones where victims may be treated for injuries. The “hot zone” is an area where an immediate threat or active shooter is known to be. The “warm zone” is an area where law enforcement has a strong hold and the threat has been neutralized or was previously located. The “cold zone” is a safe zone where first responders can treat victims and there is no active threat.

BSO began Active Shooter training in 2007 in their annual in-service training for all law enforcement deputies. All deputies, up to the rank of Colonel, are mandated to attend Active Shooter training. The 2007 training emphasized Rapid Response from law enforcement but recommended that deputies wait for back-up until a four or six man team could be formed. Deputies were instructed to deploy in a “diamond or quad formation” to enter a building. No other deputies will enter a building when a team is deployed. Other responding deputies will set up perimeter and evacuation points. In this training, a deputy’s primary responsibility is to eliminate the threat; they will not be able to stop to help injured persons until the environment is made safe.

In 2012 and 2013 all BSO law enforcement deputies attended an eight hour “Solo Response to an Active Shooter” course. Deputy Scot Peterson attended this training on August 16, 2012. The majority of this course (six hours) was dedicated to movement and shooting drills with different weapon platforms while engaging an active shooter. The students were instructed to use concealment and cover while shooting. Approximately one and a

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[187]

half hours was utilized to demonstrate and practice “solo response” to an active shooter with live-fire scenarios.

The most recent BSO Active Shooter in-service training began in 2015 and finished in early 2017. The training was broken up into two four-hour blocks. Four hours was used for the active shooter portion of the course. Four hours was dedicated to the Rescue Task Force portion of the course. Deputy Scot Peterson attended the both blocks of training on April 19, 2016. Participant capacity was 18-24 deputies per class. According to BSO’s lesson plan 90 minutes was reserved for scenario or practical exercises. Deputies were instructed to move towards the threat or active shooter using the “bounding over-watch” tactic.

Bounding over-watch is a military tactic, also called “leap frogging”, utilizing two or more deputies moving toward the threat.

The four-hour Rescue Task Force (sometimes referred to as RTF) portion of this training involved BSO deputies working with BSO Fire/Rescue personnel to provide medical aid to injured people. Deputies practiced the bounding over-watch tactic to get personnel to victims. Fire/Rescue personnel instructed deputies how to apply tourniquets, bandages and other combat medicine.

Coral Springs Police Department

The Coral Springs Police Department began training their officers for a single officer response to an active shooter in 2013. CSPD continued to build off of single officer response, incorporating it with Rescue Task Force as well as tactical maneuvers. All Coral Springs Police Department officers, including the Chief of Police attend the annual inservice Active Shooter training. The eight-hour active shooter course implemented a rifle course to simulate engagement of an active shooter while moving, limited penetration tactics, how to deal with explosive devices or IED’s, and tactical medicine techniques. This training included single officer and multiple officer tactics. The active shooter training was scenario based. Officers were instructed that they should immediately go towards the gunfire and engage the shooter. If there is no active gunfire, the officers should navigate the area to search for the shooter.

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Findings:

1. BSO deputies had some level of knowledge and familiarity with their active shooter policy. Several of them referenced that their policy states that they “may” enter a building or structure to engage an active shooter.

2. The use of the word “may” in the BSO policy is ambiguous and does not unequivocally convey the expectation that deputies are expected to immediately enter an active assailant scene where gun fire is active and neutralize the threat.

3. Some deputies could not remember the last time they attended active shooter training.

4. Some deputies could not recall what type of training they received.

5. CSPD officers had a high level of knowledge and familiarity with their active shooter policy. Many reference that the policy sates they “shall” engage the threat.

6. All CSPD officers remembered their active shooter training because they attend the training on an annual basis. Many of the officers praised the quality of their training and the equipment which they are provided.

Recommendations

The Broward County Sheriff should conduct an internal review into the conduct of deputies Kratz, Eason, Stambaugh, Perry, Seward, Goolsby and Sgt. Miller. If there is cause to believe their actions violated agency policy the Sheriff should conduct a formal internal affairs investigation and take action he deems appropriate.

The Broward County Public Schools should immediately provide law enforcement with live and real time access to all school camera systems.

All Broward County law enforcement and fire/EMS agencies should establish protocols for a unified command at all MCI or similar incidents. Every Florida county should be required to have a major incident unified command inter-local agreement that establishes the protocols for a unified command structure.

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"Resource Officer" is just a pussy term for mall cop. I hope he's kicked to death in prison; I hear inmates don't like those who harm children much, or "resource officers".

Police Have No Duty to Protect You, Federal Court Affirms Yet Again

Yep. He'll get off. I was surprised they charged him to begin with. Probably public pressure.

"Resource Officer" is just a pussy term for mall cop.

Yep. Though I bet he strutted up and down the halls of the high school with his fancy uniform and big gun, impressing all the teenage girls. But when the shooting started, he was nowhere to be found.

The Four Feathers is apt.

" The Four Feathers "

If you don't care, enlighten me. What does four feathers mean ?

Thanks in advance.

What does four feathers mean ?

It's the title of a movie. Heath Ledger is a British Army officer who likes to wear the uniform, attend the balls, and bathe in the admiration of his friends.

But when called to duty to fight in a war, he resigns. His four close friends each send him a white feather signifying cowardice.