Thread: Commanding officer initially ordered responding deputies to 'stage' not enter Stonema

Originally Posted by Judy

And he could have been killed and another casualty or killed other students and still been a casualty. That's what the teacher said who was in the area where the shootings were, her name is Jean. Don't be offended, but I'm sticking with her assessment over yours.

Hmm, the life of a 65 year old man weighed against the lives of 17, most of them children. Geez, there is no question here. Peterson should have rushed to the gunfire! Furthermore, I think it a little unusual that you and "Jean" would assume that the proper response by Peterson would have meant his automatic death. I'm going to give the very seasoned and highly experienced deputy the definite edge in a face to face even though he was outgunned. It only takes one well aimed bullet to take someone out. Besides all that, Cruz was probably too busy in his murder orgy to even notice Peterson until it was to late.

I will disagree with anyone that thinks Peterson did the right thing hiding outside while children were being indiscriminatley murdered inside.

Peterson is not 65. He's 54.

Peterson, 54, came under scrutiny after 19-year-old Cruz entered a school building with an AR-15 rifle and killed 14 students and three educators on Valentine’s Day. Cruz later confessed, police said.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/br...222-story.html

How exactly do you "well-aim" at a shooter dressed like a student in a crowd of students when you don't even know who the shooter is? Are you so uninformed on this that you didn't know there were kids like Cruz rushing out of the rooms in the hallways because he pulled the fire alarm? How do you kill Cruz without killing students or faculty? SWAT wouldn't even take that shot at that point. You won't know who he is or which one he is, but you'll stand out in uniform like a sore thumb with no diversion or back-up.

Originally Posted by Judy

. . . How exactly do you "well-aim" at a shooter dressed like a student in a crowd of students when you don't even know who the shooter is? . . .

He would be the only person in the school with an AR-15 in his hands.

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

He would be the only person in the school with an AR-15 in his hands.

Which you can't see in a crowd if it's down by his side or the crowd is shielding him from sight. And even if you do live long enough to spot him are you going to shoot into the crowd? No, you can't shoot into the crowd, but he'll shoot your ass dead through the crowd. You guys don't watch enough Law and Order, Blue Bloods or Criminal Minds.

If one guy has an AR-15 everyone near him will be running away from him. Not standing around to shield him.

Judy's is on the losing side of the argument, hence the straw grabbing.

Judy, you're now making some ridiculous arguments (IMO).

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

If one guy has an AR-15 everyone near him will be running away from him. Not standing around to shield him.

Right, they're running towards the cop. He shoots through kids running towards him for help?

Originally Posted by MW

Judy's is on the losing side of the argument, hence the straw grabbing.

Judy, you're now making some ridiculous arguments (IMO).

It's not an argument. It's an observation. I realize that DemoQuack Sheriff blamed Peterson and threw him under the bus, so I'm honestly not surprised at all that you and JD2 agree with him. But, I'm not going to throw that Deputy under the bus or call him a coward. I think all of our state and local law enforcement officers deserve better than that. I'm not saying he did everything right. I'm just not blaming any of the deaths on him, Cruz is 100% responsible for every one of them, or calling him a coward for not going in when he was there by himself without back-up or later when they were ordered to secure the perimeter. And while the President had caveats to his statement, I don't think he should have used the word "coward" either.

I don't think calling this Deputy or any police officer a coward is fair to them or their families. State and local law enforcement are civilian police officers, they are not military, and we don't want them to be.

Sorry you don't agree with my position on this, but it is what it is.

And it's wrong!

They orders didn't apply to Deputy Sheriff Peterson. He was on site when the first shots were fired and should have responded to the gunfire immediately.

If he was following department policy, who then was at fault? Is he supposed to disobey the command structure? We don't know if he was following instructions not to enter without a body-cam. Of course many departments are terrified of lawsuits without that evidence. And since they likely instructed him, he may not have been aware of the instructions the upper authorities had given for such situations.

You seem quick to condemn. And I thought it was a close case at the outset that he was a coward. But as more evidence comes out as to why the other officers waited by their cars, I see a department that was apparently totally misguided by an egotistical chief. As that Mark Twain's saying goes, "A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth can get its boots on." That seems to be the trend with sexual accusations these days as well.

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

If one guy has an AR-15 everyone near him will be running away from him. Not standing around to shield him.

Unless he is between them and the door!