Posted on 12/13/2018 11:06:23 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
A judge has rejected a deputy's claim that he had no duty to confront the gunman during the school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Refusing to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the parent of a victim, Broward Circuit Judge Patti Englander Henning found after a hearing Wednesday that ex-deputy Scot Peterson did have a duty to protect those inside the school where 17 people died and 17 were wounded on Feb. 14.
Video and other evidence shows Peterson, the only armed officer at the school, remained outside while shots rang out.
The negligence lawsuit was filed by Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow was killed in the attack. He said it made no sense for Peterson's attorneys to argue that a sworn law enforcement officer with a badge and a gun had no requirement to go inside.
"Then what is he doing there?" Pollack said after the ruling. "He had a duty. I'm not going to let this go. My daughter, her death is not going to be in vain." Peterson's attorney, Michael Piper, said he understands that people might be offended or outraged at his client's defense, but he argued that as a matter of law, the deputy had no duty to confront the shooter. Peterson did not attend the hearing.
"There is no legal duty that can be found," Piper said. "At its very worst, Scot Peterson is accused of being a coward. That does not equate to bad faith."
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Nobody’s allowed a gun, knives, nothing. Somebody has to bare responsibility.
That was his own attorney?
He’s a Coward scumbag but:
Warren v. District of Columbia, 444 A.2d 1 (D.C. Ct. of Ap., 1981) Court stated “fundamental principle of American law is that a government and its agents are under no general duty to provide public services, such as police protection, to any individual citizen.”
https://www.hg.org/legal-articles/no-right-to-police-protection-in-the-united-states-20903
Scot Peterson
How awful for the family to have to go to this extent and to have to see that chickensh!t scumbag enjoying his retirement while their daughter is dead.
Sometimes even a gun and a badge can’t hide the fact that you’re a pussy.
A judge with common sense, I’m sure the Broward County and other Florida Dims will demand his resignation.
He took an oath to protect and serve. It didn’t include the option of passing on the protection part at his whim.
It has been ruled MANY times that the police have NO DUTY/ Obligation/ Liability or Responsibility to protect people.
And this needs to be brought up every single time in gun control debates.
The Police are NOT there to protect You.
If the defense argument stands, then it puts the lie to “protect and serve,” and instead lets us know the true role of police,.. which is to “enforce, intimidate, and oppress.”
There are police who would take a bullet to save lives. This POS is the most cowardly man that I have ever heard of.
Exactly. That's part of the job description for going into LE.
And go home at night even if your citizens never will again.
Hi.
How does Peterson look into the mirror to shave?
5.56mm
To me that case means the cops don’t have a general duty to protect everybody, everywhere, all the time. You can’t sue the cops because they weren’t where you needed them. However, he was right outside with a gun and didn’t do anything. That’s very different.
Two things quickly come to mind,
1) perhaps rather than to an individual citizen the def owed a reasonable duty to the student body at large, and
2) the def owed a duty to his employer who recognized the duty it owed to the student body, employees, visitors, etc.
Otherwise, as others have pointed out upthread, why waste taxpayer monies by dressing someone up as a LEO and posting him on the grounds?
In this day and age, if the government refused to assign LEO's the parents would likely take steps to fill the void - but they paid their money and expected the government to do so.
P.S. Standing ovation for the judge.
I was going to say something about Scott’s with one “T” but then I remembered the Scott Peterson from California..https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Peterson.
Sadly, the cowardly cop has pretty much full immunity in this case. That won't stop the system from running him over with the process, but ultimately, they aren't going to win. In this particular incident, I'm not going to complain about abuse of process.
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