| Single Officer Response to Active Shooter Incident? |
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| Wednesday, 18 June 2008 | |
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Ron Borsch, a 30-year law enforcement veteran who manages the small SEALE (South East Area Law Enforcement) Regional Training Academy in Bedford, Ohio, argues based on his on-going research of active-shooter realities, that single-officer entries can potentially lessen the toll of casualties while exposing the responders involved to little additional risk. Borsch, who logged 17 years as a part-time SWAT team member before retiring from street work, has analyzed more than 90 active-shooter incidents on the basis of data largely ferreted out from Internet reports. Most involved schools and colleges, but workplaces, shopping malls, churches and other public places are also represented. Among his findings that have helped shape his tactical thinking: • 98% of active killers act alone. • 80% have long guns, 75% have multiple weapons (about 3 per incident), and they sometimes bring hundreds of extra rounds of ammunition to the shooting site. • Despite such heavy armaments and an obsession with murder at close range, they have an average hit rate of less than 50%. • They strike “stunned, defenseless innocents via surprise ambush. On a level playing field, the typical active killer would be a no-contest against anyone reasonably capable of defending themselves.” • “They absolutely control life and death until they stop at their leisure or are stopped.” They do not take hostages, do not negotiate. • They generally try to avoid police, do not hide or lie in wait for officers and “typically fold quickly upon armed confrontation.” • 90% commit suicide on-site. “Surrender or escape attempts are unlikely.”
To read the entire article go to PoliceOne.com Of course this is a controversial (to say the least) approach and many PoliceOne.com readers responded in disagreement. Editors there compiled the best arguments and they are available by clicking here.
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Columbine and other recent active shooter incidents have certainly changed the way Deputies and Officers respond to these types of incidents, but a recent transmission from the Force Science Research Center makes the case that we should be even more aggressive in our approach to the active shooter.
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