CNN host Chris Cuomo lamented the arrest of the sheriff's deputy on duty during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting, suggesting Scot Peterson is a scapegoat for a tragedy created by America’s problems with guns.

“Only in America do you respond to something like this, this way," Cuomo exclaimed.

Peterson, nicknamed the ‘coward of Broward,’ was arrested Tuesday and charged with seven counts of neglect of a child, three counts of culpable negligence, and one count of perjury.

Surveillance cameras caught Peterson running away from the school building while students were being executed inside.

“It messes with my head from a policy perspective,” Cuomo said. “Our first responders are extraordinary men and women ... most of the time. Prosecuting would only reinforce the policy. Why? There is no need to reinforce.”





Cuomo regularly uses his nightly show to criticize the National Rifle Association and advocate for stricter national gun laws.

Cuomo's brother, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y., has helped New York pass some of the nation’s most restrictive gun laws.

He was one of several lawmakers who sat next to the mother of a murdered Parkland student earlier this year as Democrats signed the “Red Flag Bill” — a measure that would prohibit any individual “displaying signs they are a threat to themselves or anyone else” from purchasing any type of firearm.

Chris Cuomo said it mystifies him that amid growing calls for more gun control, law enforcement officials in Florida have decided to spend their time investigating and prosecuting Peterson.

“This is what we decide to act on ... ” Cuomo said. “This is the move that makes the most sense after a shooting? This is the best we can do?”