Trial of Scot Peterson

Scot Peterson is an American former sheriff's deputy who was involved in the events of the 2018 high school shooting incident at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in the Broward suburban town of Parkland, Florida. At the time of the shooting, he was a Broward County Sheriff's Office deputy sheriff.

In 2023, Peterson stood trial for multiple charges including felony child neglect and culpable negligence in relation to his inactivity during the school shooting. Before the trial, commentators had stated that a guilty verdict in his trial might have set a precedent for the legal status of policing in America. On June 29, 2023, Peterson was acquitted on all charges.

Prior events
SRO Peterson, who was armed, on-site and in uniform as a Broward Sheriff's Office deputy, was accused of remaining outside Building12 during the shooting. Eight days after the attack, he was suspended without pay by Sheriff Israel, and he immediately retired. Sheriff Israel said "Scot Peterson was absolutely on campus for this entire event", and that he should have "gone in, addressed the killer, [and] killed the killer".

A statement released by Peterson's lawyer before he was charged said that Peterson believed the shooting was happening outside the building. According to the lawyer, Peterson claimed he told this to the first Coral Springs police officer who arrived on scene. The statement also pointed to radio transmissions that indicated a gunshot victim near the football field.

The Miami Herald transcribed radio dispatches that Peterson said at 2:23 during the shooting, "Be advised we have possible, could be firecrackers. I think we have shots fired, possible shots fired—1200 building." Seconds later, Peterson radioed: "We're talking about the 1200 building; it's going to be the building off Holmberg Road. Get the school locked down, gentlemen!" At 2:25, he radioed that "We also heard it's by—inside the 1200." At an unspecified time, Peterson called for police to ensure that "no one comes inside the school." At 2:27, at Building12, he radioed, "Stay at least 500 feet away at this point." At an unspecified time, Peterson ordered: "Do not approach the 12– or 1300 building; stay at least 500feet away."

On March 15, the sheriff's office released video footage in compliance with a court order. The video was captured by school surveillance cameras and showed some of Peterson's movements during the shooting.

Legal
In June 2019, following an investigation that included interviews with 184 witnesses, Peterson was arrested and then bonded out for the crime of failing to protect the students during the shooting. In June 2023, Peterson was tried in court on multiple charges regarding the events related to the shooting. He faced 11 charges, including multiple counts of neglect of a child and culpable negligence, and one count of perjury.

In 2019, Peterson had pleaded not guilty and filed a motion to have all charges dropped. However, the motion was denied and jury selection started on May 31, 2023. On June 29, 2023, after four days of deliberations, jurors acquitted Peterson on all counts.

In July 2023, a judge approved for a re-enactment of the shooting inside the building as part of a civil lawsuit against Peterson. The re-enactment was going be recorded to be reviewed by the court and was planned to include the same type of weapons and ammo used, but with blanks instead of live ammunition. However live ammunition ended up being used instead.

Peterson's legal team requested that the lawsuit brought against him by the victims’ survivors and families be dismissed in December, 2023. The judge took the arguments under advisement and indicated that she would issue a ruling soon. If the trial goes forward, it will begin in 2024.

Response
Some commentators had previously stated that a guilty verdict in the trial might have set precedent for the legal status of policing in the United States by determining the legal interpretation of the term "caregiver" to include police officers under some circumstances. Other commentators were skeptical about this theory. In the end, this issue was never opened because of Peterson's acquittal.

Parents of victims of the shooting were disappointed with the decision of the jury that acquitted Peterson in June 2023 and of Peterson. Some called Peterson a "failure" and "the coward of Broward" while others expressed their concern that he was acquitted and wondered what it would take for a person to be held accountable for their actions.