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NY Post
New York Post
29 Jun 2023


NextImg:Scot Peterson, who hid during 2018 Parkland school shooting, found not guilty of neglect and  negligence

A former Florida cop who hid during the deadly 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida has been found not guilty on all 11 counts against him.

Scot Peterson, 60, who worked as a resource officer at the school for the Broward County’s Sheriff’s Office, broke down in tears Thursday as the verdict was read.

He had been hit with seven counts of neglect of a child, along with three culpable negligence raps and a perjury charge.

Gunman Nikolas Cruz slaughtered 17 students, teachers and staff members with an AR-15 assault rifle in one of the worst mass shootings in the nation’s history.

Peterson was arrested after a 15-month probe into his actions, with investigators asserting that he made no attempt to locate the source of gunshots that rang out on multiple floors during the spree.

Scot Peterson was visibly emotional as the verdict was read
Law & Crime
Scot Peterson in court
Parkland school cop Scot Peterson was acquitted on all counts against him
Law & Crime
Scot Peterson in court
Peterson was facing up to 96 years in prison
Law & Crime

Prosecutors said that he retreated during the chaos and commanded other arriving police personnel to remain 500 feet away from the school building.

Defense attorneys argued at trial that Peterson could not identify exactly where the shots were booming and called in a Code Red before taking a tactical position to scan the entire scene.

In a controversial verdict, Cruz was sentenced to life in prison last November after a jury failed to unanimously recommend the death penalty as formerly required by Florida law.

His attorneys argued at trial that his troubled upbringing was a mitigating factor in the case and that a life term was sufficient.

Prosecutors countered that Cruz was fully aware of his actions while committing the crime, highlighting that he studied prior mass shootings while planning the massacre.