Marjory Stoneman Douglas' armed police officer RESIGNS as it emerges he HID during massacre and never went in to the school - Marjory Stoneman Douglas's resource officer Scot Peterson 'never went in' during the massacre
- Instead of confronting the gunman he stayed outside the school at his station
- An officer claims Peterson hid behind a cement column during the shooting
- Sheriff Scott Israel said he should've 'went in, addressed the killer, and killed'
- Israel said Peterson's lack of action made him 'sick to [his] stomach'
- Peterson received award in 2014 for 'tact and judgment' from City of Parkland
- The 54-year-old was nominated for Parkland deputy of the year in 2017
By Abigail Miller For Dailymail.com
Published: 10:40 AEDT, 23 February 2018 | Updated: 14:52 AEDT, 23 February 2018
SRO Scot Peterson![Image](https://i.imgur.com/EvUiU6S.jpg)
The armed security guard stationed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School did nothing to stop the attack, instead hiding from gunman Nikolas Cruz when he opened fire, killing 17 on February 14.
Scot Peterson, the school's resource officer, did not confront the gunman and instead stood positioned outside the school during the massacre, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said Thursday.
The 54-year-old 'never went in,' Israel explained, citing security footage, and adding that he was armed and in uniform when bullets started to rain.
And in an interview with the New York Times, Coral Springs Officer Burton revealed Peterson hid from Cruz when the teenager started shooting.
Burton said Peterson 'was seeking cover behind a concrete column leading to a stairwell,' because he was worried Cruz could be lurking in the lot. He said Peterson couldn't hear gunshots or screams to lead him to the precise location of the shooting.
Israel said Peterson resigned when he was told he was being suspended without pay while police conduct an internal investigation, NBC Los Angeles reported. He said the disgraced-cop said he'd met the requirements for retirement.
'After seeing video and witness statements, and Peterson's own statement, I decided this morning... to suspend Scot Peterson without pay pending an internal investigation,' Israel said.
He said the video shows Peterson arrive at Building 12, where most of the killing took place, and then took position outside the school.
Apart from getting 'on his radio' to alert police of the situation, Peterson did 'nothing' to prevent 17 innocent people, including 14 children, from being slaughtered, Israel said.
Israel said that instead of just standing there, Peterson should have 'went in, addressed the killer and killed the killer,' adding that instead he 'stood outside for upwards of four minutes.'
He said that Peterson's lack of action left him 'devastated. Sick to my stomach. There are no words.' According to the Times, as Israel spoke there were tears in his eyes and he 'appeared emotional.'
Peterson never discharged his gun during the shooting.
When the attack ended Cruz managed to ditch his semiautomatic AR-15 and slip away on foot. Within about seven minutes from when the gunfire began he was out of the school and in a nearby neighborhood where he was ultimately stopped by an officer from a neighboring police department.
...more at linkhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... oting.html