Police Officer on Duty - Did Nothing

[JackOfNoTrades]

He wasn't retired. He was a cop, on the books, and he did nothing. (Assuming reports are accurate)
A coach died, shielding the students, with no weapon. This guy stayed outside, with the one gun that could have stopped the shooting.

I'm well aware who and how many died. I find it ironic how Sheriff Israel so easily responds to what this officer should have done when IMO his department is a critical link in the chain of failures. Again, if this guys role was to storm a building that was under fire by 1 or 20 gunman, then he failed. With the 23 calls his department responded to involving the gunman, hindsight should be placed on all and I'm yet to hear Israel take any accountability here.

 

[Sarek]

I didn't like when Sheriff Israel was on a CNN special trying to sound like he's a philosopher with much wisdom to share with the rest of us little people. It looked like he really enjoyed his 15 minutes in the sun.

 

[Longboysfan]

Unarmed vs AR15 = LOSE
Sidearm vs AR15 = WIN

If its one thing I can't stand is a coward with his gun still holstered while children are being slaughtered!

I would add one thing - Training...

 

[Longboysfan]

He was on their radar?

The FBI turned the Radar off in this case.

 

[Longboysfan]

I was listening to the radio this morning.

Training and Arming teachers - is not the way to go.

Like they said give them the tools to check mental health and they are a step in the right direction.

 

[diefree666]

this is a problem that needs to be gone at from several different directions.
1) a full investigation on WHY the FBI dropped the ball
2) Broward County Diversion program that did not report Cruz despite bringing ammunition to school and violent fight with girlfriend; none of this reported to police or anyone else
3) Numerous reports about him from teachers that never went anywhere

this is a clear case of what some would call Pearl Harbor syndrome; it cannot happen here and thus do not worry about it


More than one armed and trained security guard; should be a full time police officer to be blunt.
IF teachers want to be armed they have to pass a good tough training program to carry in school but it should be THEIR choice.

and above all as this clearly showed when someone is troubled its better to do TOO MUCH THEN NOT ENOUGH

 

[lukin2006]

For some reason, and only that cop knows why he didnt react...my guess he lost his courage when he needed it most, a coward is most accurate.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I was listening to the radio this morning.

Training and Arming teachers - is not the way to go.

Like they said give them the tools to check mental health and they are a step in the right direction.

Agreed. Training & arming teachers is not the way to go... I can see innocents being shot or simply folks not having the intestinal fortitude to aim a gun at someone and pull the trigger.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

For some reason, and only that cop knows why he didnt react...my guess he lost his courage when he needed it most, a coward is most accurate.

Big difference between having a firearm and having the courage to use it against another human... Takes even more courage to use it against someone that has the capacity to shoot back.

 

[CouchCoach]

Makes one wonder how many more are out there making threats like this and being overlooked? The Sandy Hook tragedy was a blindside to the authorities. This was not.

Everyone failed on this one in Florida. This kid was openly sending messages that he needed help and others even called the local authority and FBI's attention to it. How in the world does everyone drop the ball with a 19 year old, with weapons, openly threatening to be a school shooter?

As this story has unfolded, it is not the kids at that school that should be boycotting and protesting, it is their parents as well. They trusted the authorities with the safety of their children. This was one of the worst major fails in law enforcement history and a lesson to anyone suspecting there might be a danger to the public, go to the top and don't just assume something is being done. Something this serious should have gone to the Sheriff, not deputies that decided not to take any action and just how good is this Sheriff at hiring people? One hides outside, his weapon holstered, and two never did anything to prevent this with ample warning.

And this boycott and march is getting too grandstanding by some of these people seeking their 15 minutes of fame and the message will be lost because of the messengers. Together, they can be a force but let a few individuals seize the opportunity and the message will fade as all of them do.

 

[diefree666]

and looking over the media coverage the failure of the system to act is getting very little notice compared to the standard knee jerk reactions

IF EVER there was a case where a shooting should have been prevented this is the one.

 

[DFWJC]

I'd heard soon after this happened that the school actually had an armed guard.
That's why it was confusing when I kept hearing statements about a gunman going to gun-free zones. I realize they do that--wipe people out where legal guns are not allowed--but this was not the case here.

It always seemed strange that the shooter was able to continue for 6 minutes--which is an eternity in that type of situation.
This coward probably needs to move out of state somewhere.
Honestly, I would think his life might even be in danger by a furious parent or relative.
Just so shameful and disgusting.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Makes one wonder how many more are out there making threats like this and being overlooked? The Sandy Hook tragedy was a blindside to the authorities. This was not.

Everyone failed on this one in Florida. This kid was openly sending messages that he needed help and others even called the local authority and FBI's attention to it. How in the world does everyone drop the ball with a 19 year old, with weapons, openly threatening to be a school shooter?

As this story has unfolded, it is not the kids at that school that should be boycotting and protesting, it is their parents as well. They trusted the authorities with the safety of their children. This was one of the worst major fails in law enforcement history and a lesson to anyone suspecting there might be a danger to the public, go to the top and don't just assume something is being done. Something this serious should have gone to the Sheriff, not deputies that decided not to take any action and just how good is this Sheriff at hiring people? One hides outside, his weapon holstered, and two never did anything to prevent this with ample warning.

And this boycott and march is getting too grandstanding by some of these people seeking their 15 minutes of fame and the message will be lost because of the messengers. Together, they can be a force but let a few individuals seize the opportunity and the message will fade as all of them do.

And I get all this about the system failing...

My question is what was the FBI suppose to do about it? And I'm not being a wise-guy about it... I'm honestly asking... They couldn't tail him for year and a half or whatever it was. They couldn't violate his civil rights.

I'm just not sure under present laws what could have been done to stop him.

 

[JackOfNoTrades]

And I get all this about the system failing...

My question is what was the FBI suppose to do about it? And I'm not being a wise-guy about it... I'm honestly asking... They couldn't tail him for year and a half or whatever it was. They couldn't violate his civil rights.

I'm just not sure under present laws what could have been done to stop him.

It appears "data bases" from the FBI, Police Dept, Social Services and the School to a certain extent all functioned in silos. If true and if they were somehow better integrated, the warning signals would have been blaring.

 

[BigStar]

It appears "data bases" from the FBI, Police Dept, Social Services and the School to a certain extent all functioned in silos. If true and if they were somehow better integrated, the warning signals would have been blaring.

He's more just saying you can't lock people up for being "weird" unless they commit a crime. As a means for precaution, it's tricky for authorities to enforce wo violating someone's civil rights. I hear your point on the silos though and does seem there was no communication bw School Admins and LE; FBI and Sheriff Dept.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

He's more just saying you can't lock people up for being "weird" unless they commit a crime. As a means for precaution, it's tricky for authorities to enforce wo violating someone's civil rights. I hear your point on the silos though and does seem there was no communication bw School Admins and LE; FBI and Sheriff Dept.

Exactly right.

Someone threatening to shoot up a school... I mean, how do you handle that and not violate their civil rights?

 

[rags747]

he did not earn his $9/hr that day

$75k+ was his salary in Fla, pretty good salary in Fla I would say.

 

[JackOfNoTrades]

He's more just saying you can't lock people up for being "weird" unless they commit a crime. Just as a means for precaution, it's tricky for authorities to enforce wo violating someone's civil rights.

agreed but he was more than weird. I know a parent called 911 on Cruz prior to the incident because he threatened to shoot her son. The parent listed to the operator the various weapons this nut possessed.

I live in NY and would love to own a handgun to protect my family and home but it's darn near impossible - I've never broken the law, not even a speeding ticket. However, this psycho, despite his 23 incidents with the police, multiple alerts to the FBI from concerned citizens, expulsion by the school was able to trot into a gun dealer and buy an AK 15 that he used to pump out 170+ rounds in 7 minutes. That's what I mean by better integrated data bases.

Obviously this discussion is deeper than we're allowed to get into here but looking at this situation from the big picture, it was a recipe for disaster

 

[CouchCoach]

And I get all this about the system failing...

My question is what was the FBI suppose to do about it? And I'm not being a wise-guy about it... I'm honestly asking... They couldn't tail him for year and a half or whatever it was. They couldn't violate his civil rights.

I'm just not sure under present laws what could have been done to stop him.

Good point but at least they should have interviewed him, put eyes and ears on him to assess the threat. He had been in trouble, expelled, lost his Mom in the previous year and was openly making threats and aspiring to be a school shooter. Knowing that, would the courts not have seen him as a threat to society and ordered observation and a diagnosis from mental health officials? Because that is what is going to happen now as his defense.

This opens up a whole different discussion about the preventative side of law enforcement and even more importantly, the court system. Just how strong are his rights when he was going to deprive 17 other people of their simple right to live? Gets onto that whole freedom and rights debate.

At least if they had brought him in, we would know where one of the major holes in the broken system lies. Where is the line between a private citizen's rights and public safety. If his rights had allowed him to carry on with his plan, then it is that we must address.

 

[BigStar]

agreed but he was more than weird. I know a parent called 911 on Cruz prior to the incident because he threatened to shoot her son. The parent listed to the operator the various weapons this nut possessed.

I live in NY and would love to own a handgun to protect my family and home but it's darn near impossible - I've never broken the law, not even a speeding ticket. However, this psycho, despite his 23 incidents with the police, multiple alerts to the FBI from concerned citizens, expulsion by the school was able to trot into a gun dealer and buy an AK 15 that he used to pump out 170+ rounds in 7 minutes.

Obviously this discussion is deeper than we're allowed to get into here but looking at this situation from the big picture, it was a recipe for disaster

No argument there; they didn't share information and his adopted mother had police come to their home multiple times to "do something" with the two brothers. Local LE knew, the FBI got a message so they knew. Like you said, the bigger picture gets political, etc.