Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student David Hogg came to the defense of the armed resource officer who never entered the Parkland, Florida school where 17 people were killed in a mass shooting, asking, “Who wants to go down the barrel of an AR-15, even with a Glock?”

In an interview Saturday on MSNBC, Mr. Hogg insisted that the officer, Scot Peterson, “just like every other police officer out there at heart — is a good person.”

Stoneman Douglas student David Hogg on deputy who did not enter school during shooting: “Who wants to go down the barrel of an AR-15, even with a glock? And I know that’s what these police officers are supposed to do, but they’re people too.” pic.twitter.com/GjnUBuidc6 — MSNBC (@MSNBC) February 24, 2018

Mr. Peterson, who has been widely criticized for failing to enter the school and confront suspect Nikolas Cruz, resigned on Thursday.

CNN reported on Friday that three other sheriff’s deputies had not entered the building when Coral Springs, Florida police arrived on scene.

“[Peterson] didn’t take action in this event, and I can’t explain why … there are no words to explain why he wouldn’t take action to take out this individual, but I think it’s a good example of if he didn’t take action and four others didn’t, I mean, who does?” Mr. Hogg said.

Mr. Hogg said it’s important to remember that police officers are “people too.” He said he had interviewed Mr. Peterson before, and that Mr. Peterson “is a very conservative man.”

“Who wants to go down the barrel of an AR-15, even with a Glock?” Mr. Hogg said. “And I know that’s what these police officers are supposed to do, but they’re people too. They need to worry about themselves as well as all the other students. And I don’t think teachers need to have that responsibility, either.”

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