In light of recent terrorist acts in Paris and Mali, and the number of school and workplace shooting scenarios in the US (Charleston, Sandy Hook), police departments are giving different advice to civilians who call 911. Anderson Cooper of 60 Minutes interviews Washington D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier who says officers are being trained to respond to active shooters — and civilians are encouraged to “run, hide, or fight.”
Lanier tells Cooper: “If you’re in a position to try and take the gunman down, to take the gunman out, it’s the best option for saving lives before police can get there.” It’s counterintuitive to what police have always told civilians – which was not to take action, not to intervene in, say, a robbery. But Lanier says active shooter scenarios — involving mentally ill gunmen and terrorist killing victims indiscriminately — require more active approaches. Cooper’s interview with Lanier will air on 60 Minutes on November 22 at 7pm on CBS.
