D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier recently made national headlines when commenting on what people should do in an active shooter situation.
Her remarks have even more relevance Wednesday, following a shooting in California in which at least 14 people died, and 17 more were injured. While at the police academy Wednesday evening, Lanier shed more light on the "run, hide or fight" tactic.
"The 'run, hide, fight' discussion we've been having... is that you've got really three options if this happens," she said. "[It] is one, run and get out if you can. Two, hide; barricade yourself behind a locked door if you can, but if there's no other alternative [and] you can't get out, you can't hide, your other option is to fight."
An active shooter scenario was, only coincidentally, on the agenda for tonight's session of the D.C. Police Department's Community Engagement Academy. But with the tragedy unfolding in San Bernardino, Lanier was asked about her recent comments on "60 Minutes" that signal a change in long-standing advice on what to do when the unthinkable happens.
"Given the amount of time with which these active shooter situations unfold, [with] most of them happening, start to finish, in 10 minutes, you know, the best police officers in the country are going to get there in five to seven," she said.
Lanier was asked if she had enough officers. She said there are plenty of police officers in this city, but history has shown they not arrive in time in the event of an attack, so everyone should be prepared.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also took part in an active shooter simulation at the police academy, which lets citizens and officers trade roles. Both sides get a chance to learn, first-hand, why they do things that puzzle and sometimes frustrate each other.
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"The police department gets to hear from residents," said participant Drew Schneider. "It gets to hear their concerns."
"This training, it's just been really helpful and meaningful to me, and I think it would be good for everybody to take it; I really do," said participant Brenda Richardson.
