When mass shootings happen, people in peril turn to law enforcement to do their jobs, apprehend the shooter by whatever means necessary, and save as many lives as possible.
Unfortunately, there have been mass shootings where law enforcement dropped the ball or failed to take appropriate measures when it mattered most. This created situations of more casualties and subsequent legal action against offending individuals.
In the aftermath of 2018’s mass shooting at Broward County’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the now-former sheriff’s deputy, Scot Peterson, is accused of not taking the necessary steps to subdue the shooter.
While he was deemed not guilty in a criminal proceeding concerning this matter back in June, there may be more trouble ahead for him, reports the Daily Mail.
The Reenactment
Days ago, a judge ruled that a reenactment of the 2018 mass shooting in Broward County can proceed. The purpose of this reenactment is to ascertain whether or not Peterson abdicated his obligation and job to stop the shooter.
.@davidwbrill says his video recorded reenactment will prove former @browardsheriff Deputy Scot Peterson knew the shooter was firing inside a 3-story classroom building at @MSDHighSchool on Feb. 14, 2018, but chose not to intercede. https://t.co/E9tq0KMDEp
— Max Schachter (@maxschachter) July 13, 2023
Despite being found not guilty in a criminal proceeding, Peterson is still facing civil litigation from parents of teens who lost their lives. These parents maintain that had Peterson entered the building as his training instucted him to, he could have saved more lives.
The former sheriff’s deputy, for his part, argues he didn’t enter the building because he wasn’t aware of where the shots were coming from. Parents suing him in civil court are hoping this newly-approved reenactment will show that Peterson is lying.
Accountability Time
It’s very likely that Peterson’s problems will worsen if the reenactment of the school shooting shows he lied about why he didn’t enter the building.
Meantime – this motion filed Monday night in ongoing #Parkland civil case is asking the Court to permit a recorded reenactment. “In order to demonstrate that Peterson could hear the gunshots and derive where they were coming from.” pic.twitter.com/At4tNemERH
— Christina Boomer Vazquez, M.S. (@CBoomerVazquez) July 5, 2023
This case out of Broward County has eerie similarities to the infamous Uvalde mass shooting in Texas. During this incident, officers on the scene took over an hour before going to apprehend the shooter.
