Former Parkland officer breaks down outside court: ‘I did the best I could’
He is accused of hiding from the shooting and failing to confront the gunman
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
A former school resource officer, accused of hiding during the 2018 Parkland school massacre, got emotional after a hearing and broke down outside court.
Scot Peterson, 58, said he would have “never sat there and allowed anyone to die” had he knew the gunman was inside the building where 17 people were killed on 14 February 2018.
Mr Peterson, who was a Broward County Deputy at that time, faced multiple charges of child negligence for allegedly taking cover and not confronting the shooter at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
In one of the deadliest shooting incidents, 17 people were killed and dozens were injured after 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire inside the high school campus.
Mr Peterson appeared in court on Wednesday as his lawyer argued to dismiss the child negligence charges filed against him.
“I didn’t do anything there to try to hurt any child there on the scene,” Mr Peterson told the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Wednesday, as he lost his composure.
“I did the best that I could with the information. I did the best ... I’ll never forget that day. You know, not only kids died, I have friends that died. And never for a second would I sit there and allow anyone to die, knowing that animal was up in that building! Never!”
Mr Peterson is accused of breaking a law that applies to caregivers. But his defence attorney Mark Eiglarsh argued that a school resource officer does not fall under the legal definition of the term caregiver.
“As a matter of law, he should never have been charged through a child neglect statute which holds responsible parents, teachers, kidnappers, babysitters, but not school resource officers,” said Mr Eiglarsh.
The decision in the case is expected in the next few months.
Meanwhile, Mr Cruz, 22, the accused gunman, faces the death penalty if convicted.