Two deputies have been fired after an internal affairs investigation into the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Sheriff Gregory Tony confirmed that deputies Edward Eason and Josh Stambaugh were fired Tuesday based on their inaction during the shooting, reports KJCT8. Tony said neither deputy tried to locate or confront the shooter.
“In essence, it was neglect of duty. We lost 17 people,” Tony said.
Through the investigation, it was found that Stambaugh was working an off-duty shift at a nearby school when he responded to MSDHS.
Once on the scene, he put on his bulletproof vest and took cover for about five minutes after hearing shots, according to body camera footage. After, he got back into his vehicle and drove to the highway overlooking the school instead of going inside.
Investigators said Eason hear gunshots and ran to a nearby middle school as gunfire continued. He was also faulted for not writing an official report after receiving a tip that the shooter was posting threats to social media about a school shooting.
SRO Scot Peterson was arrested earlier this month for his inaction during the shooting as well. He was charged with seven counts of child neglect with great bodily harm, three counts of culpable negligence and exposure to harm and one count of perjury.
Two coaches who served as security monitors at MSDHS were also fired in June 2018 for their inaction.
In the wake of these decisions, there’s a growing sentiment that officers need decision-based training that is relevant and reflects more closely the real-world circumstances that they are going to face every day at work.
The quality of training has a profound effect on the officer’s judgment when confronted with a potentially deadly force encounter.
Scenario-based training helps to improve officer responses when they’re confronted with high stress, potentially life or death situations that they encounter in their actual work days.
Now over a year since the shooting, school safety developments have emerged not only for Douglas County but schools all over the country.
