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Two More Deputies Fired For Not Confronting Parkland, Fla., School Shooter

Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony, seen in January, has announced the firings of two more deputies over their failure to act during the 2018 shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
Wilfredo Lee
/
AP
Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony, seen in January, has announced the firings of two more deputies over their failure to act during the 2018 shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

Updated at 4:49 p.m. ET

The sheriff in Broward County, Fla., announced the firing of two more deputies Wednesday because of their actions during last year's school shooting in Parkland. An investigation found that neither deputy tried to locate and confront the shooter. Seventeen students and faculty of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School were killed.

Shortly after Sheriff Gregory Tony announced the firings, his office released a report on an Internal Affairs investigation into the law enforcement response to the shooting on Feb. 14, 2018. The report details the actions by the two sheriff's deputies that led to their terminations.

When Broward County deputy Josh Stambaugh arrived at the school, he heard gunshots, put on a bulletproof vest and took cover behind his patrol car. After five minutes, he got in his vehicle and drove to a highway overlooking the school, taking him away from the police response.

Deputy Edward Eason also heard gunshots when he arrived. Instead of going toward them, he went in the other direction, to a nearby middle school where he remained.

Tony says of the two men's actions, "In essence, it was a neglect of duty."

Two other deputies, school resource officer Scot Peterson and Sgt. Brian Miller, were previously fired for their roles in the botched response to the shooting.

Peterson was charged this year with 11 criminal counts, including child neglect, culpable negligence and perjury.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

As NPR's Miami correspondent, Greg Allen reports on the diverse issues and developments tied to the Southeast. He covers everything from breaking news to economic and political stories to arts and environmental stories. He moved into this role in 2006, after four years as NPR's Midwest correspondent.
Barbara Campbell