The policy of not entering without backup changed after the Columbine shooting, which was treated as a hostage situation, which it wasn't. Since Columbine, most police officers are being instructed to get to the shooter and end the situation. "If someone in the building is shooting, and you’re the first one there, you’re going in." – Indiana State Police Trooper Aaron Gaul.
Originally Posted by I B Hankering
Several matters:
#1: "most police officers are being instructed"
Not all.
#2: I suspect if accurate stats were developed you would find that "most police officers" are not adequately equipped or TRAINED to enter a building in an active shooting situation particularly against a shooter who is armed with a semi-automatic rifle. If the PUBLIC and THE MEDIA want officers to engage in such matters the TAXPAYERS need to step up to the plate and equip and train them. They DON'T and WON'T!
#3: (Which should have been #1) How does "Indiana State Police Trooper Aaron Gaul" KNOW what "most police officers are being instructed" to do?
#4: Example: The FBI "SWAT" are
good, well-trained, and instruct state and local LE officers both as first responding patrol officers and special operations team members. Recently in Houston an FBI team entered a residence to extract a kidnapping victim inside and one of the FBI team members shot and killed the kidnapping victim. That was in a relatively small building with 2-3 people in it.
It's one thing to talk shit .... it's another to do it.
(Too many people watch "law and order" shows and live cop "reality" shows.
It's always easier to keep someone OUT than go in and take them out! Prevention is the key.
As for responses: Years ago the San Diego PD had the highest officer death rate per capita than any city in the country. They explored the cause. Failure to provide back up (or wait for back up) on calls involving violence (mostly "domestic" cases ... of which most "violence" calls are). They looked back at their training academy and saw the training was "back ups"! They had relaxed those rules. They re-instituted mandatory backups on violence calls. Their officer death rate when down substantially.
On a related issue: Our country is experiencing a rise in fake 911 calls with officers getting ambushed when they arrive and approach the location. Some have never even gotten out of their vehicles. Additionally, for YEARS (beginning about 9 ago to be specific) the LE officers have literally been under siege by the MEDIA and POLITICIANS (not to mention members of the PUBLIC) for responding in a violent manner against offenders. So "you" want them to stand down and not be so "violent," but you want them to rush into an active shooting situation ill-equipped and ill-trained with NO KNOWLEDGE as to where the shooter(s) is or even how many there are ... and what any of them even look like!
(Remember this shooter left with students and was captured down the street!)
For all you anti-LE Liberals .... who are being critical ...
... well you know what to do!
Do you know who the LE folks are who are most stressed by this event (excluding the students and the families of the wounded or dead) ...
... the ones who weren't there! They've never been and never will.
This is a response to Trooper Gaul's "advice":
But questions linger over whether a solitary officer should act as a lone ranger and go in without help.
“The rule of thumb is never to go in alone. It’s a suicide mission if you go by yourself everywhere,” said Texas-based security consultant Chris Grollnek, a former police officer and Marine who now trains businesses and other organizations how to respond to active shooters."
https://www.twincities.com/2014/01/1...olice-tactics/