Active Shooter is a phrase coined by law
enforcement that describes an armed person who has used deadly physical force on
persons and continues to do so while having unrestricted access to additional
victims. The school shooting at Columbine and similar incidents have caused a
paradigm-shift in law enforcement training and tactics. Instead of being taught
to wait for a SWAT team to arrive, officers receive training on how to take
immediate action during incidents that clearly involve suspects use of deadly
force.
United States Attorney Leura G. Canary stated, We hear about a shooting in a
school or business every few months now, in both large and small towns. Law
enforcement must be prepared to handle these situations as they arise. After the
Columbine shooting, law enforcement agencies realized that first-on-the-scene
patrol officers must be ready to enter a school, mall or other public place to
neutralize a shooter and stop the killing.
In Active Shooter or Immediate Action Rapid Deployment training, officers are
provided training on single and team tactics for Active Shooters, and deliberate
and dynamic techniques for dealing with the variety of floor plan situations
encountered in schools. Mostly, the class stressed the first officer and follow
on officer teams moving safely, assertively, and decisively to engage and
neutralize the active threat, thereby preventing the further loss of innocent
life
This valuable training provided Patrol Officers and School Resource Officers the
skills necessary to decisively end these violent encounters and minimize the
loss of innocent human life caused by Active Shooters. Active Shooter Training (Primarily from the
National Institute for Justice)
