Scott Peterson – the Parkland deputy who seemingly did everything he could to avoid doing anything useful during the Parkland massacre – arrested, released on bond:

As CBS News reported, Peterson was arrested late Tuesday afternoon after a 15 month investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which said Peterson was “derelict in his duty” and “failed to act consistently with his training and fled to a position of personal safety while [Nikolas] Cruz shot and killed students and staff.”
The report also states Peterson was “in a position to engage Cruz and mitigate further harm to others, and he willfully decided not to do so.”
While out on bail, Peterson cannot possess a firearm or take any job involving children, Scherer said. Peterson, dressed in beige jail clothes, did not speak during the hearing

I said it at the time, and I’ll say it now – I’ll always be circumspect about commenting on peoples’ reactions when faced with an immediate, lethal threat. History is full of tales of blustery men who shriveled when the bullets started flying – the lesson being “don’t bluster about how you’re gonna behave when the chips are down”.

But Peterson is one of the people we bless with a lot of extra power, rights and training to do exactly the things he didn’t do when Nik Cruz started his killing spree. He’s one of the people even “progressives” think should have the right to keep and bear arms. So while I mute my criticism of the man, I do in fact criticize the badge. Peterson’s behavior was all over the Orlando Sun-Sentinel’s excellent minute-by-minute breakdown of the breakdown.

But then, so was that of every other Parkland cop, up and down the chain of command, up to former chief Scott Israel, who parlayed his own incompetence and his entire department’s dereliction into a career as a gun control activist.

And Peterson’s actions, at least in re some charges, will be judged by how they comported with policies Israel established for his officers, and trained (or failed to train) them in. And one of those policies.

And, as the Sun-Sentinel noted (emphasis added):

Since Columbine, officers are taught to rush toward gunshots and neutralize the killer. But the first Broward deputies don’t rush in.
Broward Sheriff Scott Israel later reveals that he personally changed department policy to say that deputies “may” instead of “shall” rush in.

And just you watch – it’ll be Israel’s policy that will allow Peterson to skate on at least some of the charges against him.

Scot Peterson is facing trial. Scott Israel roams free.

That may be the system, but that ain’t justice.