Current:Home > ScamsParkland shooting sheriff's deputy Scot Peterson found not guilty on all counts-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Parkland shooting sheriff's deputy Scot Peterson found not guilty on all counts
View Date:2024-12-24 20:56:01
Scot Peterson, a sheriff's deputy who was at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School but didn't confront the gunman during the deadly Parkland shooting in 2018, was found not guilty of child neglect and other charges Thursday. Peterson, now 60, was charged in connection with the deaths and injuries on an upper floor of the building attacked by gunman Nikolas Cruz.
Peterson was sobbing as the 11 not guilty verdicts were read in court. The jury had been deliberating since Monday.
Speaking to reporters after the proceedings, Peterson said he "got my life back."
"Don't anybody ever forget this was a massacre on February 14," Peterson said. "Only person to blame was that monster. ... We did the best we could with the information we had, and God knows we wish we had more."
Asked what he had to say to the victims' families, some of whom praised authorities following his arrest, Peterson said he was open to meeting with them.
"I would love to talk to them," Peterson said. "...I know that's maybe not what they're feeling at this point. Maybe now, maybe they'll get a little understanding, but I'll be there for them."
Tony Montalto, whose 14-year-old daughter Gina was killed on the first floor, said in a statement he had hoped for "some measure of accountability" from the jury.
"Peterson's failure to act during the shooting was a grave dereliction of duty, and we believe justice has not been served in this case," said Montalto, president of the school-safety reform group Stand with Parkland.
Peterson's attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, called the verdict a victory for every law enforcement officer in the country.
"How dare prosecutors try to second-guess the actions of honorable, decent police officers," Eiglarsh told reporters.
Cameron Kasky, a Parkland student who has advocated for stricter gun control measures following the shooting, posted a headline about Peterson's acquittal on Instagram with his reaction to the verdict.
"Cops run away from shootings. They get away with it. There is no accountability for cops," Kasky wrote.
Peterson, the only armed school resource officer on campus when the shooting started, was charged in 2019, more than a year after the gunman killed 17 people in the Valentine's Day attack. The gunman is serving a life sentence without parole after a different jury in November couldn't unanimously agree to give him the death penalty.
Surveillance video showed Peterson didn't confront the gunman, and a public safety commission said he hid for about 48 minutes. Peterson wasn't charged in connection with the 11 people who were killed on the first floor before he arrived on the scene. Prosecutors argued Peterson could have tried to stop the gunman.
Thursday's verdict came more than a year after a gunman in Uvalde, Texas, went into an elementary school and killed 19 children and two teachers. Authorities were criticized for not acting sooner in response to that attack.
Peterson's lawyer rejected comparisons between his client and the response in Uvalde.
"In this case, he 100% didn't know precisely where the shots were coming from … you can't plausibly analogize his case to the others," Eiglarsh told reporters.
In the wake of Parkland shooting, Peterson retired from the Broward County Sheriff's Office, and he was retroactively fired in 2019.
- In:
- Scot Peterson
Alex Sundby is a senior editor for CBSNews.com
TwitterveryGood! (7263)
Related
- The Fate of Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager's Today Fourth Hour Revealed
- The FTC wants to ban fake reviews and fine people who write them
- Peek inside this retired couple's semitrailer turned into a permanent home
- Hundreds still missing in Maui fires aftermath. The search for the dead is a grim mission.
- Trump pledged to roll back protections for transgender students. They’re flooding crisis hotlines
- Two Connecticut deaths linked to bacteria found in raw shellfish
- Ex-San Jose State athletic trainer pleads guilty to sexually assaulting female athletes
- Social Security isn't enough for a comfortable retirement. What about these options?
- Teachers in 3 Massachusetts communities continue strike over pay, paid parental leave
- New York judge denies request for recusal from Trump criminal case
Ranking
- Driver dies after crashing on hurricane-damaged highway in North Carolina
- Sage Steele leaves ESPN after settling her lawsuit over COVID-19 vaccine comments
- The man accused of locking a woman in a cinder block cell in Oregon has an Oct. 17 trial date
- Blind Side Subject Michael Oher Addresses Difficult Situation Amid Lawsuit Against Tuohy Family
- John Robinson, successful football coach at USC and with the LA Rams, has died at 89
- While a criminal case against a Tesla driver ends, legal and ethical questions on Autopilot endure
- Selena Gomez Has the Last Laugh After Her Blanket Photo Inspires Viral Memes
- A Wisconsin prison is battling a mice infestation, advocacy group says
Recommendation
-
KFC sues Church's Chicken over 'original recipe' fried chicken branding
-
Umpire Ángel Hernández loses again in racial discrimination lawsuit against MLB
-
ESPN reveals new NBA broadcast teams with Doc Rivers and Doris Burke; Bob Myers joins
-
The Golden Bachelor's Gerry Turner Breaks Down in Tears While Recalling Wife's Death
-
Florida man’s US charges upgraded to killing his estranged wife in Spain
-
NYC outdoor dining sheds were a celebrated pandemic-era innovation. Now, there’s a new set of rules
-
California grads headed to HBCUs in the South prepare for college under abortion bans
-
California judge charged in wife’s murder expected to appear in Los Angeles court