Broward Deputies Now Told To 'Eliminate Threat' After Parkland

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — Ten months after the horrific school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Broward Sheriff's deputies are being told they must "eliminate the threat" before all else when they arrive at the scene of an active shooter.

In releasing the new guidance to the public on Wednesday, Broward Sheriff Scott Israel said his agency had made a number of changes since 17 students and faculty members were gunned down inside the sprawling South Florida high school on Valentine's Day.

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"Deputies responding to active threat(s) incidents shall attempt to protect the life of innocent persons through immediate tactical intervention to eliminate the threat," states the new policy announced by Israel.

In the days following what was one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history, surveillance video showed former Broward Deputy Scot Peterson standing outside Building 12 for four of the six minutes the shooter unloaded his AR-15 assault rifle. Peterson was armed and in uniform at the time.

President Trump later branded Peterson a coward.

Under the new guidance, deputies are now being told to stop the shooter before attempting to rescue victims, provide medical assistance, arrest suspects or preserve the crime scene.

Lori Alhadeff, whose daughter, Alyssa, was among those killed in the tragedy told Local 10 News in Miami that she was pleased by the change though it won't help her family.

"I'm happy to see now that they are trying to do something about it, but it's a little too late," said Alhadeff, who recently won a seat on the Broward School Board. "My daughter is dead because of it."

In a letter to Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, who chairs the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, Sheriff Israel outlined a number of changes that have been implemented since the tragedy.

"Be assured, the reforms adopted to date are not the end of this process," Israel assured. "Rather, they are a midway point as we continue working towards addressing all of the findings related to our agency and implementing all of the recommendations."

Other changes include:

• 1,378 BSO deputies completed eight hours of "additional scenario-based active shooter and rescue task force training" since the shooting. All BSO School Resource Officers also attended a week of training on active shooter tactics and concealed carbine carry.
• The agency opened internal affairs investigations into the actions of Sgt. Brian Miller and Deputy Edward Eason.
• BSO negotiated a "tentative understanding" with the Broward County School Board granting the agency real-time access to live surveillance camera feeds during emergencies.
• The agency created a threat assessment unit to evaluate violent threats for potential Risk Protection Orders.
• BSO convened an internal Marjory Stoneman Douglas Review Committee of command staff responsible for implementation of commission findings and recommendations as well as related follow-up actions.

Photo by Paul Scicchitano