If you were a school police officer, would you confront an active shooter with a AR-15?

[ImpulsE69]

So while everyone is focused on the police not doing their job and how guns are evil, did anyone look at what the catalyst for this that looks deeper than "the kid was mental?" Was he someone who was harrassed at school endlessly over social media etc? Did anyone look at his angelic classmates or is that too much victim blaming because we don't hold people responsible for their actions?

 

[Paladin3]

So while everyone is focused on the police not doing their job and how guns are evil, did anyone look at what the catalyst for this that looks deeper than "the kid was mental?" Was he someone who was harrassed at school endlessly over social media etc? Did anyone look at his angelic classmates or is that too much victim blaming because we don't hold people responsible for their actions?

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/b...hooting-nikolas-cruz-life-20180220-story.html

Sounds like he was messed up from a young age with multiple mental and emotional issues. Also seems a shit-ton of folks knew he was dangerous but nobody got him the help he needed. His dad died when he was five and it doesn't sound like his mother was able to control him and his anger.

The story lists several events that would qualify as domestic abuse when he hit his mother. That right there would have disqualified him from owning a gun if the charges had been filed. I don't know why we are so lax in dealing with our violent "children."

Edit: it also appears the incident commander initially orders the cops to stage outside the school as they arrived. I don't know if the school deputy who was first on the scene got there before or after that order to stage was given, or how long the order to stage stood, but that could be why nobody went in right away.

 

[BurnItDwn]

You can't pile on the bandwagon of insulting those who believe they would at least try to do something and not expect someone to call you out on it. Nobody can guarantee how they would react until faced with such a situation, but it's so fucking fashionable today to mock those who say they would at least try to do something. Here's what you said:

I don't mean to disrespect anybody who thinks they would go in and solve the problem. I don't mean to insult them either. I think most people have noble and good intentions. I just know that most people will panic and will have a very hard time keeping a clear head. If these school police officers are veterans who have military training and were "battle tested", I would expect them to be able to handle the situation.

 

[BurnItDwn]

I would. That is his ONLY REASON to be there. The only reason Americans wanted police in schools was as a response to an attack at the school. If police cannot engage the shooter(s) because they value their safety over the safety of the children, pull them out. Otherwise the police are just there to arrest disobedient students, and American society has not agreed to that.

Its not an issue of valuing your safety over others, I think most police officers want to serve the public, and they value the lives of the people they protect VERY highly. It's the ability to keep a clear head, the ability to focus, the ability to think while the whe world is blowing up around you that I suspect many officers would have trouble with.

I'm suggesting instead that people, when put in that situation, will usually panic or go into some kind of mental shock. I do not think that ANY kind of training can truly prepare somebody for that. That is why I am suggesting that only war veterans would truly be predictable.

Schools have had police officers in them for many years. Usually they wind up breaking up fights. 99.9% of the fights don't involve guns. I agree, the police should try to stop an armed shooter. But, I can also understand the failure to do so. I don't want to vilify those who think they would do better, I also want to recognize that the "failure to act" should not be unexpected.