Deputy at Parkland shooting would have seen bodies if he opened door, officer testifies
foxnews.com
During the trial of former Florida sheriff's deputy Scot Peterson, who was on duty during the Parkland high school massacre, a police officer testified that if Peterson had opened a building's door instead of backing away, he would have witnessed the bodies of victims. Sunrise Police Lt. Craig Cardinale, who arrived at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School during the shooting, recounted that he disregarded the warnings of Broward County deputies and immediately approached the 1200 building, where his son was attending class. Cardinale and other officers reached the door Peterson had previously approached and saw the tragic aftermath. Prosecutors argue that Peterson knew the shooter was inside but failed to confront him, while Peterson maintains that he couldn't determine the shooter's location due to echoing gunshots. Peterson faces charges of felony child neglect, which could result in a lengthy prison sentence and the loss of his pension. The trial marks the first instance in U.S. history of a law enforcement agent being tried for an alleged failure to act during a school shooting.