Newly released video of Florida school shooting shows sheriff’s deputy standing outside building
A newly released security video shows Florida sheriff’s deputy Scot Peterson standing outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School while Nikolas Cruz was reportedly inside killing 17 students and staff.
The video, released on Thursday by Broward County Sheriff’s Office, shows Peterson and a staff member rushing toward the building in a cart before he pulls his weapon and takes up a position outside the building.
And that is where he stays for the duration of the killing spree that horrified the nation.
During much of the shooting the camera’s view of Peterson, who was the school’s resource officer, is blocked by a light pole. However, parts of him occasionally appear.
Sheriff Scott Israel blasted Peterson eight days after the shooting, saying Peterson should have “went in, addressed the killer, killed the killer.”
The 54-year-old deputy retired rather than accept a suspension. He is still being investigated by internal affairs.
Read the chilling calls made by Florida shooting victims to police
The videos were made available in response to a lawsuit from The Sun Sentinel, The Miami Herald and CNN against the Broward Sheriff’s Office and the School Board of Broward County.
The media organisations said the public had a right to see the videos under Florida’s public record law. A Broward circuit judge agreed, and released the videos on Monday.
Through his lawyer, Peterson released a statement last week saying that he initially thought the gunman was outside, saying that is why he did not enter the building.
But Peterson’s own radio transmissions suggest he had focused on the 1200 building, where the killings took place, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, at the request of Gov. Rick Scott, has opened an investigation into the law enforcement response to the shooting.
