Ryan Nicol
After receiving criticism for their delay in confronting the shooter at Stoneman Douglas High, the Miami Herald is reporting that Broward Sheriff’s deputies on the scene had not undergone active shooter training since 2015 or 2016. That’s in contrast to many of the Coral Springs officers who arrived and eventually rushed into the building. Those officers undergo active shooter training yearly, according the the Coral Springs Police Department.
Two Coral Springs officers on the scene say BSO deputies appeared unaware of what to do during the shooting, according to incident reports released last week.
The school’s resource officer, Deputy Scot Peterson earned the brunt of the criticism following the attack, as video showed him standing outside as shots were fired. At least three other BSO deputies were on the scene in time to hear gunshots. None of those three had gone through active shooter training with the department more recently than 2016, according to records reviewed by the Herald. However, BSO says Peterson did participate in additional training with the Broward County school board in both 2017 and 2018.
In contrast, all but one of the Coral Springs officers on scene had attended training sessions last year. The remaining officer was trained in October 2016.
17 people died in the February 14 shooting. Former Stoneman Douglas student Nikolas Cruz has been charged for carrying out the attack.
This news comes after another revelation this week that Cruz was entered into Broward’s PROMISE Program despite earlier denials from the school board and Superintendent Robert Runcie. The program was designed to shield students from the criminal justice system by disciplining problem students inside the school system.
A commission has begun to investigate the causes leading up to the shooting and how future attacks can be prevented.
