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Scot Peterson, the former Broward Sheriff’s deputy responsible for protecting Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, has been criminally charged for failing to confront a gunman who methodically shot and killed 17 students and staffers, state authorities said Tuesday. In a highly unusual case, the retired 56-year-old deputy was arrested Tuesday on 11 charges — including child neglect, culpable negligence, and perjury — for his role in the massacre that shocked the United States, galvanized gun-control activism and led to changes in Florida’s law.
Peterson, who has long insisted he acted properly, faces nearly 100 years in prison if convicted. As a school resource officer trained to engage an active shooter immediately, Peterson “was responsible for the welfare and safety” of the students and “failed to make a reasonable effort” to protect them, according to an arrest warrant.