Against The Warrior Cop? Acquit Scot Peterson Now!

The Warrior Cop Vs. Guardian Cop Debate Is About to be Settled by a Jury Deliberating a Child Neglect Case.

Jun 20, 2023

Former Broward County Deputy Scot Peterson is on trial for taking cover instead of taking action. While hearing shots ring out from Building 1200 on the campus of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, he stood still with his gun drawn for thirty-seven minutes. Cops from other jurisdictions, stopped, asked him directions, he gave them directions, and they charged into danger.

Peterson is charged criminally in a case that can’t be explained in a simple sentence. When recruits asked me to explain the difference between civil and criminal, I always offered that a crime can be described in a single sentence. This case challenges that. It demands an obligation by the deputy that can be contorted into the criminal offense of child neglect.

I’m not on Peterson’s side. I think six parents have a very strong civil case where they will win on the preponderance of evidence. He is and was ill-fitted for his career. You will not go to an agency of one hundred officers and not find a percentage that shouldn’t be on the job. That percentage will increase during this hiring crisis.

There are three officers on patrol: the instinctual, the trainable, and the ones kept alive by their grandmother’s prayers.

During a major mass shooting, three friends of mine responded, planned their response for 15 seconds and charged the threat. These were the right guys. They saved many lives. Nobody there knew how lucky they were to have these officers there that quickly. All equally valiant, one received the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) award of officer of the year.

For my friends, this was not in their contract. This was not in their oath of office. To be completely frank, this was not a part of either Peterson’s policy or his oath. No one told him that he was obligated to run towards fire. Prior to Columbine, prior to widespread field force training, there was no implication that officers were obligated to run toward fire. That’s why his charges are so convoluted.

The complicated relationship between school boards and police agencies regarding school resource officers results in a 50/50 arrangement where both semi-competent officers and passionate overachievers are the staffing. The rare middle ground candidates are the exceptions that prove the rule.

But the truth of why Peterson is being charged, tried, and likely convicted only to do with him limiting himself as a guardian instead of a warrior. Scot Peterson failed to fill the warrior role during a crisis. Everyone is furious at him for that. Especially people who hate the police as warriors.

Nikolas Cruz should have had his problems properly addressed during his 50 plus justice involvements prior to committing mass murder. Had his referrals been taken seriously, he would have been legally ineligible to purchase a firearm, he would have received the interventions to control his substance abuse and episodes and 17 people may not have been injured, 17 may not have been murdered and one school resource deputy may not have his character exposed.

Would Peterson’s potential intervention have culminated in a deadly force encounter with Cruz? Smart money suggests a hard no. Cruz walked by about a hundred cops on his way to Wal-Mart and their Subway concession before he was identified by a Coconut Creek officer about three miles from the scene.

I can almost hear Tucker Carlson pointing out the obvious: “Does anyone with a sound mind believe that Scot Peterson was going to save the day?” Clearly not. So why are they putting this guy on trial?

There is an explicit recognition on both sides of the issues. Some feel satisfaction at seeing the cops fail at a human level. On the other side, there is anger at the lack of courage behind the badge in his case. What both sides realize but don’t acknowledge, is that when you need a warrior, nothing else will do.

Please keep our officers, agents, and deputies in your prayers!