“Rifles from this point forward,” Broward Sheriff Scott Israel told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, adding: “We need to be able to defeat any threat on campus.”
After a six-minute rampage in the hallways of one of the school buildings, Cruz ditched his weapon and ammo and blended in with students fleeing the carnage. A Coral Springs patrol officer captured him a little more than an hour later, after Cruz stopped at a Walmart and a McDonald’s.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office is reviewing whether deputies’ response was adequate — including whether an armed officer assigned to the sprawling campus did enough. The deputy did not fire his weapon and his actions would be “scrutinized,” Israel said.
He also said BSO was reviewing whether the first officers on the scene rushed into the school, as they are trained to do when an active shooter is on the rampage. So far, police have not determined which officers from which agencies were first to enter Building 12, the scene of the violence. Israel did say BSO deputies “pulled people out, saved lives.” Jeff Bell, the president of the Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputies Association, said the union was satisfied with the response time of the cops who rushed to the scene. “Our guys could still hear the final barrage of gunfire as they arrived,” Bell said.
The shooter, however, slipped away before cops could find him in the chaos.
“Forty-five acres, just over 3,000 students and you’re looking for one. Certainly makes it more difficult,” Bell said.
Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie confirmed Wednesday that he agreed with the proposal to have deputies wield rifles at schools. The officers are likely to be equipped with high capacity weapons similar to the AR-15.
The sheriff would not take questions on the announcement, leaving many details unclear. He did not say if campus deputies would be allowed to carry the weapons openly — or have to store them somewhere secure until a threat emerges.
He also did not say if BSO would be paying for the weapons.
For several years, the police union has been pushing BSO, unsuccessfully, to foot the bill for 5.56-caliber rifles for patrol officers, who are allowed to carry them now — but only if they pay for the weapons themselves. Deputies must be certified to carry rifles on duty and generally keep them in their patrol cars.
Bell said he was was “100 percent on board” with Israel’s announcement. “We have to be able to match firepower with firepower,” he said.
Author: Michael
Handsome Devil..... and Smart too.
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