Deputy Who Failed To Engage With The Stoneman Douglas Shooter ‘Believed He Did A Good Job’

Broward Sheriff Israel recently revealed that the deputy on duty at Stoneman Douglas–Scot Peterson– never went inside to confront the shooter.

JUST IN: Broward Sheriff says armed school resource deputy who was on duty at Stoneman Douglas the day of the shooting has been suspended without pay pending investigation; Sheriff Israel says the deputy opted to resign/retire. https://t.co/WyLmaDb2n0 pic.twitter.com/ApSeQbZV70

— ABC News (@ABC) February 22, 2018

Sheriff Israel suspended the deputy without pay, but the 33-year-old ultimately retired.

Liberals will tell you that this proves that armed guards don’t work, but I say that it proves that we need three layers of defense. Metal detectors and armed guards, yes. But if those two layers fail, there should be a third line of defense. Allow teachers and staff members who are qualified and willing to carry to do so.

ANYWAY. This isn’t about that. This is about the deputy who failed to act. Apparently, the officer “believed he did a good job,” because he alerted others of the massacre and gave a description of Cruz.

The union head said he didn’t want to second-guess Peterson — but strongly suggested that failing to take on Cruz was a mistake.

“He believed he did a good job calling in the location, setting up the perimeter and calling in the description (of Cruz),” said the union official, Jim Bell.

Oh come on man…

Bell made it pretty clear that he didn’t exactly agree with how the deputy handled the situation.

“We have to act, even if that means risking our lives to save many many more lives. I would demand that from our union members,” said Bell, still a working deputy.

“You’re listening to an execution every time you hear the rifle shot.”

I can’t imagine being in that situation, but that’s what he signed up for. That was his job. He was getting paid to protect the school and failed to do so. It doesn’t sound like he even tried.

Of course, he’s getting a big ol’ pension.

Peterson was not an association member, but sheriff’s brass asked Bell to contact him with the bad news.

Peterson had been the resource officer at Douglas High School since 2009 and made a base annual salary of $75,673.72 as of 2016, according to sheriff’s office records cited by the Sun-Sentinel newspaper.

That base salary, however, doesn’t include longevity and first- responder bonuses that probably brought Peterson’s non-overtime pay closer to $80,000, according to Bell.

Peterson’s pension will be 75 percent of the average of his top five earning years while on the job, the union head said.

Isn’t that lovely?

GAWD.

h/t NY Post