Page 7 - ARUBA TODAY

A7
U.S. NEWS Wednesday 5 June 2019

Florida deputy charged for inaction during Parkland shooting

By CURT ANDERSON and and compiled 212 investi- prohibited from possessing excludes law enforcement
TERRY SPENCER gative reports, the agency a gun, the prosecutor said. officers acting in an official
Associated Press said. His lawyer, Joseph DiRuzzo capacity."
MIAMI (AP) — The Florida Peterson "did absolutely III, said in a statement that It was not immediately
deputy who knew a gun- nothing to mitigate" the Peterson is merely a scape- clear when Peterson would
man was loose at the shooting, FDLE Commission- goat. He called the charg- make his initial court ap-
Parkland high school but er Rick Swearingen said in es "a thinly veiled attempt pearance. That typically
refused to go inside to con- a statement. "There can be at politically motivated ret- occurs the day after an ar-
front the assailant was ar- no excuse for his complete ribution." rest.
rested Tuesday on 11 crimi- inaction and no question "We will vigorously defend Sen. Rick Scott, a Republi-
nal charges related to his that his inaction cost lives." against these spurious can who was Florida gov-
inaction during the massa- Lori Alhadeff, whose charges that lack basis in ernor at the time of the
cre that killed 17 people. 14-year-old daughter, fact and law," he said, ar- shooting, initiated the law This undated photo provided
Scot Peterson was on duty Alyssa, was killed, said she guing that Peterson was enforcement probe and by the Broward County, Fla.,
as the resource officer at was surprised to hear of not a caregiver, which he said Tuesday in a state- Sheriff's Office shows Scot Pe-
terson, a former Florida depu-
Marjory Stoneman Douglas Peterson's arrest. She re- said the law defines as a ment that he was glad the ty who stood outside instead
High School on the day of called sending a text to her parent, adult household investigation was finished. of confronting the gunman
the February 2018 shoot- daughter when she heard member or other person re- "Now it's time for justice to during last year's Parkland
ing but never entered the there was shooting. sponsible for a child's wel- be served," Scott said. school massacre was arrest-
building while bullets were "I told her to hide, that help fare. "The definition of 'oth- After the shooting, Peterson ed Tuesday, June 4, 2019, on
flying. He was charged was on the way. Well, Pe- er person responsible for took retirement rather than 11 criminal charges related to
his inaction.
with child neglect, culpa- terson was that help, but a child's welfare' expressly accept a suspension.q Associated Press
ble negligence and perjury he froze, and he failed us
— allegations that carry a all that day," Alhadeff said.
maximum prison sentence "He was supposedly the
of nearly 100 years. good guy with the gun who
Peterson was seen on sur- was supposed to go in and
veillance video rushing with meet the threat, and he let
two staff members toward us all down."
the building where the Tony Montalto, whose
shooting happened. When daughter Gina Montalto,
they arrived, he pulled his also 14, died in the attack,
weapon and went forward said families wanted justice
but then retreated and to be done.
took up a position outside, "We are happy to see some
where he stood with his gun accountability for this trag-
drawn. edy," said Montalto, presi-
The charges follow a dent of the Stand With Park-
14-month investigation by land victim families' group.
the Florida Department of Peterson, 56, was jailed on
Law Enforcement, which $102,000 bail. If released,
conducted interviews with he will be required to wear
184 witnesses, reviewed a GPS monitor and surren-
hours of surveillance videos der his passport and will be

CAR RENTAL 5616944

Address: Paramira #30 (Oranjestad) - Email: yessrentalcar@gmail.com - Website: www.yessrentalcar.com
We Rent:
Cars- Vans - SUV