What would you do if you were in Scott Peterson’s position? This is the question that’s plaguing everyone.
If you were a school resource officer trained to confront an active shooter, would you confront the gunman if such a situation arose? Or would you prioritize your life first and then do whatever you can to deter the shooter? Most people would like to believe they are Superman, but the reality isn’t that simple.
The trial of Scott Peterson, a former school resource officer in a similar place, proved just that. Amid mounting criticism, Peterson resigned from his post and sat in court awaiting his verdict. It turns out the jury and the public aren’t on the same page regarding his actions. But what did he do?
Scott Peterson is a former school resource officer who opted to stay outside during the fatal February 2018 shootout at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. He was charged with three counts of negligence and seven counts of felony child neglect. Prosecutors said that he should have followed his training and confronted the gunman. His defense argued that he did what he could in that horrific situation. Ultimately, the jury absolved him of wrongdoing and acquitted him of all charges.
What Did Scott Peterson Do?
Scott Peterson was charged with three counts of negligence and seven counts of felony child neglect, as per CNN. These charges resulted from the injuries and deaths of eight students and two school employees.
Peterson was formerly employed as the school resource officer at Parkland, Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. He had stayed outside during the horrific February 2018 massacre at that institution.
The former officer was accused of not following the training that instructed him to confront the active shooter. Instead, as per CNN, he had taken cover outside the three-story school for 45 minutes plus till the gunman was caught. Thus, he had failed to do this duty, and in doing so, he had allegedly failed to protect the children he had been in charge of.
During the trial, students, the school’s staff members, and law enforcement staff reported that they couldn’t determine where the gunfire originated due to the echoes and reverberation on campus.
Peterson had also claimed something similar. But the prosecutors said that he had referenced the 1200 building as the source of the gunshots during his radio communications.
So this was presented as evidence that he knew at least about the general area the gunman was in. However, Peterson’s attorney stated that out of the 6 and 1/2 minutes the shooting lasted, Peterson was on the scene for the ending of 4 minutes and 15 seconds. As such, he had done whatever he could with the situation he was in, his defense had said.
The school’s assistant principal, Jeffrey Morford, had said that Peterson had initiated a Code Red, saving more lives. Prosecutors stated that no one expected Scot Peterson to give up his life for others, just that he should have valued others’ lives as well. As such, he should have confronted and engaged the shooter so that people had the chance to escape.
After deliberating for hours, the jury acquitted Scott Peterson of all charges and absolved him of any wrongdoing. The former school resource officer said:
“The only person to blame was that monster. It wasn’t any law enforcement, nobody on that scene from BSO, Coral Springs. Everybody did the best they could. We did the best we could with the information we had, and God knows we wish we had more at that point.”
But parents and relatives of the deceased aren’t ready to forgive him that easily. Late teacher Scott Beigel’s mother, Linda Beigel-Schulman, said:
“I guess Scot Peterson believes that doing nothing is synonymous with doing no wrong. He may not have been found legally responsible, but there’s no doubt that he’s morally responsible.”
Victim Jaime Guttenberg’s father, Fred Guttenberg, had scathing words to say about Peterson as well. He said:
“While Peterson and his attorney Mark Eiglarsh celebrate him getting his life back, they must always remember that my daughter was murdered because he didn’t even try to prevent it. My daughter is dead because (Scot) Peterson failed to give her the additional single second that she needed to enter the stairwell on the 3rd floor.”
The case made waves because it highlighted the expectations from law enforcement and how they had failed to deliver. It remains to be seen what impact this verdict has on society in the long term.
What are your thoughts on this tumultuous case?
Was Scott Peterson right to get acquitted and absolved of any wrongdoing? Should he have confronted the gunman in that volatile situation?
Let us know in the comments below.
Source: CNN
