Parkland Deputy Chose to Run During School Massacre, Prosecutor Claims in Closing Arguments.

Former Broward County Deputy Scot Peterson has been charged with felony child neglect for his actions during the 2018 Parkland school massacre. Prosecutors argued that Peterson fled to safety, abandoning the children he was tasked with protecting during the shooting. This allowed the gunman, Nikolas Cruz, to kill several victims. During closing arguments, prosecutor Kristen Gomes told the jury that Peterson could have located and stopped Cruz during the attack. Instead, Peterson chose to take shelter next to an adjoining building, leaving Cruz to roam the halls unchecked.

Gomes argued that even if Peterson hadn’t killed Cruz, his presence could have distracted him, giving students and teachers time to flee or hide. Defense attorney Mark Eiglarsh, however, called Peterson a “hero” for his actions during the shooting. He argued that Peterson did everything he could under the circumstances and that he is being made a “sacrificial lamb” for failures by elected officials and administrators.

Peterson was on duty as the on-campus deputy during the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. He is being tried for felony child neglect and other charges, but is not charged in connection with the deaths of 11 people killed on the first floor before he reached the building. This trial marks the first time a U.S. law enforcement officer has been tried in connection with a school shooting.

During their two-week presentation, prosecutors called on the witness stand students, teachers, and law enforcement officers who testified about the horror they experienced during the attack. They also called a training supervisor who testified that Peterson did not follow protocols for confronting an active shooter. Eiglarsh during his two-day presentation called several deputies who arrived during the shooting and students and teachers who testified they did not think the shots were coming from the building.

The six jury members began their deliberations late Monday. If convicted, Peterson faces up to nearly 100 years in prison. However, it is unlikely that he will receive a sentence anywhere near that length due to his clean record. He could also lose his $104,000 annual pension. Peterson had spent nearly three decades working at schools, including nine years at Stoneman Douglas. He retired shortly after the shooting and was then fired retroactively.