Tactics Have Changed On Ways Police Address Mass Shootings
DETROIT (WWJ/CBS NEWS) - One or more gunmen opened fire Wednesday at a Southern California social services center, killing an estimate of 14 people and wounding more than a dozen others, authorities say.
Hours later police hunting for the attackers riddled a black SUV with gunfire several miles away.
San Bernardino Police Department Chief Jarrod Burguan tweeted on Wednesday evening that at least some of the suspects were accounted for. Their conditions were unclear.
Suspects are down, one officer wounded. Details still unfolding.
— Jarrod Burguan (@RetSBPDChief) December 3, 2015
Locally, Detroit Police Chief James Craig says he's been in touch with his colleagues in Riverside California.
Unfortunately, he's not surprised by this latest mass shooting.
"I am never surprised. As I have said since the Paris incident - we are in a constant state of readiness, we talk, we monitor events that occur around the world - whether they have a direct or indirect impact in the city of Detroit ... we just want people in the city of Detroit to know that we are attentive and in a constant state of readiness," said Craig.
Craig recently said in an interview, incidents like these were less likely to happen in Detroit, because so many people are armed. But is arming the public a good idea?
Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard spoke to WWJ's Sandra McNeill saying mass shootings have become routine and he doesn't see them going away any time soon, but police are learning how to better cope with them and the approach has changed since Columbine.
"Now most situations the person or persons seeking to kill as many people as they can," said Bouchard, "and every instant you wait potentially is another life lost -- so our tactics have now changed; from contain and negotiate to immediately insert and neutralize the threat."
Meaning police move in to draw gunman to engage with police rather than continue targeting other people.
"That may help if an armed person that's capable and adapt with their weapon can engage somebody - it may stop or change but then you also have the challenge to make sure how you identify people -- as friendly or foe," said Bouchard.
Bouchard says police go through extensive training on that and it's still not uncommon for an officer to accidentally shoot another during an active scene.
An increase in mass shootings adds pressure on law enforcement - especially when it comes to training for these types of scenarios. Matt Hartley is a 25-year vet and was a SWAT team leader in California for 13 years - he says with situations like the one in San Bernardino - you have to be able to react quickly.
"It's an ever evolving situation for law enforcement, every critical incident is different and while there are many characteristics that are the same -- again, everything is evolving and that law enforcement has to evolve along with the crime trends that are occurring," said Hartley.
Hartley says communication between agencies can be difficult but is key in helping to capture or neutralize the suspect. [LATEST NATIONAL NEWS ON THE SAN BERNARDINO SHOOTINGS]