TEXARKANA, Texas - Defending lives in an active shooter situation is not a pretty subject.
"It's not pretty. When we talk about how to defend yourself, it gets to a certain point where it gets ugly. Stopping (an active shooter) is not pretty or clean or civilized," Texarkana, Texas, Police Officer Pete Mann told a large group of people Monday night at Macedonia Baptist Church.
Mann spoke on active shooter response training at the event organized by Texarkana Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Proactive preparation and training are vital to recognizing the signs of potential violence while at schools, churches, movie theaters, shopping malls, workplaces and any other public venue where large numbers of individuals may gather.
Police in Texarkana have been trained in response by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Program at Texas State University. In response to how citizens can protect themselves in these situations, "Avoid, Deny, Defend" has been developed as an easy to remember method for people to follow in a dangerous situation.
"You could be at church, school or work. You could be anywhere," Mann said.
Avoid starts with a person's state of mind.
- Pay attention to your surroundings.
- Have an exit plan.
- Move away from the source of the threat as quickly as possible.
- The more distance and barriers between you and the threat, the better.
"You have to ask yourself if you can run safely. You do not want to blindly run right into a killer," Mann said. "If you can run, run as fast and as far as you can and take as many people with you as you can. Then sound the alarm and call police. Be familiar with the area you are in. Know where the exits are. Know where the windows are. Know where the stairs are. You don't want to learn about the building you are in during an emergency."
Deny becomes a factor when getting away is difficult or impossible.
- Keep a distance between you and the source.
- Create barriers to prevent or slow down a threat from getting to you.
- Turn the lights off.
- Remain out of sight and quiet by hiding behind large objects and silence your phone.
Defend is protecting yourself and others.
- If you cannot avoid or deny be prepared to defend yourself.
- Be aggressive and committed to your actions.
- Do not fight fairly. This is about survival.
Mann told the group to assume everyone is unarmed in this situation and to use what is available to fight with.
"What can you use as a weapon?" he asked.
People commented on using chairs, fire extinguishers or sharp objects to fight someone off.
"You have got to do what you have to do," Mann said. "Everyone in this room has someone who loves them and you owe it to them to survive."
Police advise anyone in this situation to call 911 when they are in a safe area and show their hands and follow commands when law enforcement arrives.