Deputies from a local sheriff's office in Florida are reportedly guarding the home of the resource officer who was stationed at the high school where the Parkland shooting occurred.

The resource officer was criticized for his lack of action during the February 14 massacre.

He resigned from his post on Thursday.



Deputies from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's office are guarding the home of the school resource officer who was stationed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School after his family requested the protection, according to multiple news reports on Thursday.

Local Fox affiliate WSVN said it sent a reporter to the Boynton Beach, Florida, home of Broward County Sheriff's deputy Scot Peterson for an interview when the reporter was met with six deputies "standing guard outside."

Peterson's family is believed to have asked for the protection, according to NBC affiliate WPTV reporter Andrew Lofholm.

Peterson resigned from his post at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School following the shooting at the campus in which 17 people died. He was later criticized after an internal investigation found he never entered the building where the shooting occurred.

"I am devastated," Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said at a news conference. "Sick to my stomach. He never went in."

Peterson, who was armed and in uniform at the time, reportedly did "nothing" and remained outside of the building for at least four minutes during the incident, according to Israel.

Peterson had been the high school's resource officer since 2009 and made a salary of $75,673.72 in 2016, according to The South Florida Sun-Sentinel.