PARKLAND, Fla. — Andrew Pollack, whose daughter, Meadow, was killed in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, filed a wrongful death lawsuit Monday evening, according to court records.
The suit names several parties, including Nikolas Cruz, the 19-year-old accused in the shooting, and Broward County sheriff's deputy Scot Peterson, who lives in suburban Boynton Beach. Peterson, who was on campus that day, did not go inside Building 12 although he knew there was a shooting going on.
Pollack announced on Twitter that the suit has nothing to do with money.
"I want to be sure anywhere he goes in this country, he will be recognized as the coward that could have gone in and saved the students and teachers on the third floor," he wrote on the social media website.
This suit has nothing to do with money. I want to be sure anywhere he goes in this country he will be recognized as the coward that could have gone in and saved the students and teachers on the third floor.
— Andrew Pollack (@AndrewPollackFL) May 1, 2018
On Feb. 14, 17 people, including Pollack's daughter, were shot and killed by Cruz, a former student at the school. Cruz was later captured by local police and charged with 17 counts of murder and several more counts of attempted murder for the others inside the school who were injured in the shooting.
After the shooting, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office released dispatches and video that showed Peterson knew there was a shooting going on, but that he stood outside the building instead of going inside to confront Cruz. Peterson retired from the sheriff’s office the day authorities released the information.
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“I want to expose that coward so bad. Wherever he goes I want people to recognize him and say that's one of the cowards of Broward. The (Student Resource Officer) that let those children and teachers die on the 3rd floor!” Pollack tweeted.
I filed a wrongful death suit against Deputy Peterson today. I want to expose that coward so bad. Where ever he goes I want people to recognize him and say that's one of the cowards of Broward. The SRO that let those children and teachers die on the 3rd floor!
— Andrew Pollack (@AndrewPollackFL) April 30, 2018
The lawsuit goes through the timeline of multiple instances when there were warning signs and issues with Cruz that Pollack argues should have been addressed by family members and mental-health professionals. Instead, Cruz obtained an AR-15 and killed students and staff members that afternoon.
Echoing Pollack’s tweets, the lawsuit calls Peterson a coward for standing outside as he heard the shooting:
“Peterson remained safe in his position away from Nikolas Cruz, never once attempting to go inside Building 12 where the School Resource Officer knew the shooting was taking place, never once attempting to save a life, never once attempting to fire a single bullet at Nikolas Cruz.”
The lawsuit continues, “he had the opportunity and obligation to prevent the death of those innocent people including Meadow Pollack, who were on the third floor of Building 12. But he let those innocent people die because he was a coward.”
Broward Sheriff's Office Releases Video From Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting
Cox Media Group
