‘Coward of Broward’ Weeps as He’s Acquitted for Parkland Shooting Response

Former Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School resource officer Scot Peterson collapsed on the defense table and cried on Thursday as he was found not guilty on all counts after he failed to confront the teenage gunman responsible for the horrific 2018 school shooting.

The 60-year-old, who had been labeled “the coward of Broward” for his response during the massacre in Parkland, Florida, continued to cry and raise his hands in thankful prayer as Florida Judge Martin Fein read out 11 not guilty verdicts to a crowded Broward County courtroom. Others in the room gasped as the verdict, which arrived after jurors deliberated for 19 hours, was delivered.

In the end, Peterson was acquitted of all charges, including child neglect and perjury, in a case that raised questions about a police officer’s level of responsibility during an active shooting situation.

Read more at The Daily Beast.