OHP Trains Mayes County Deputies On Active Shooter Response

Every Mayes County Sheriff’s deputy is training this week on how to take down an active shooter.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol instructors are running the four day hands-on training for deputies inside Locust Grove Schools, which are places deputies need to be familiar with if a tragedy ever did happen.

The goal is to make the training as real as possible with gunshot sounds, and simulation ammo that hurts when you get hit.

Just going through the motions isn't going to prepare deputies for the worst case scenario.

"You definitely want to mimic the type of situation you are going to be in just so you don't jump when you hear certain things like that, so you'll respond instead of just react,” said Mayes County Sheriff Mike Reed.

All deputies were trained in active shooter response two years ago, and now they are doubling their training.

Reed said they can never train for this enough, and he wants his department to be constantly pushing forward so they are always getting better.

Sheriff Reed said these shootings can happen everywhere, so it is important for deputies to train in buildings like the county schools that they would have to navigate through, if a shooting ever did happen.

"If a call comes over the radio that there's an active shooter or disturbance or whatever it is in the cafeteria, they already know the layout and they already know how to get to the cafeteria as fast as they possibly can. That's vital. Time is vital,” said Reed.

The deputies are trained and tested on how to knock down doors, use their guns, and work under stress to take down the threat as fast as possible. They also trained how to stop gunshot victims from bleeding.

"Unfortunately in today's day if you go to a mall, shopping center, football game, anywhere anytime someone can make a stupid decision and harm innocent people,” said Reed.

Sheriff Reed said they are also adding a fifth school resource officer this year, to better protect the children in Mayes County.

"It's never been done in the history of Mayes County. The support I've got from the people and the commissioners to help me with the budget, and the schools, is just outstanding,” said Reed.