A Florida jury on Thursday cleared a former school security officer who was charged over his failure to confront a gunman who massacred 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, in an emotional trial that left bitter feelings on both sides.
Scot Peterson, who was a Broward County sheriff’s deputy and worked as a resource officer at the school in Parkland, was charged in 2019 with seven counts of neglect of a child, three counts of culpable negligence and one count of perjury.
He was found not guilty on all counts. As the first acquittals were announced, an emotional Peterson put his head down on the defense table and openly wept.
The charges carried a maximum potential sentence of 96½ years in state prison, the Broward County State Attorney’s Office said.
Seventeen students, teachers and staff members were killed Feb. 14, 2018, and 17 more were injured.
Peterson, 60, was the only other person at the school with a gun when the shooter opened fire. He was forced to retire after the shooting.
“We got our life back after 4 ½ years … and being able to put the truth out of what happened,” Peterson told reporters outside court. “It’s been an emotional roller coaster for so long
