Police Response to Mass Shootings

Within 48 hours of the mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, I was interviewed by multiple news outlets regarding my take on the police response. Whenever there is a widely covered shooting I field a variety of questions, often critical in nature, so Id like to address one of them for you. One individual criticized the police response as being too long (Approximately 3 hours) relative to SWAT entry. So I want to share the following considerations. Note that this is predicated on the limited information available to me as I write this.

1. You have a suspect who has inflicted multiple casualties and is now contained within a hardened structure with hostages.
2. There is information that possible IED’s (improvised explosive devices) are involved.
3. It takes time to assemble a SWAT team.
4. It takes time to formulate entry plans.
5. Are shots being fired when the SWAT team is “on-site”? If so, then entry is immediate and forceful.
6. If you are negotiating with the suspect and no shots are being fired would a forced entry result in the suspect shooting victims he might not have otherwise?
7. If it were your loved ones being held hostage, would you have me force entry with the possibility of initiating more gunfire on behalf of the suspect thereby endangering your loved ones, or would you rather have me continue negotiations with the possibility of rescuing them without harm?
8. Realize that any real world scenario, forced dynamic entry involves an element of risk and un-foreseen impediments and obstacles which is a far departure from a well-rehearsed, scripted Hollywood adventure film.

These are but a few of the many considerations incident commanders must take into account in such situations. It is very much a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation. I have said in previous interviews that these events are here to stay. It is a complex and multifaceted problem that will require paradigm shifts in the many methods we will utilize to combat such tragedies.

Just some food for thought.