WYOMING - It was an incongruous scene at Tenth Street Elementary School on Saturday.
Next to students' drawings and painting for an upcoming art show, teams of police moved in formation down a hallway, guns ready, peering into classrooms. The exercise was training for a scenario parents and administrators hope never happens.
Local police departments were learning how to handle a live shooter in a school during a training session with the Lackawanna County SWAT team. Officers from Wyoming, West Wyoming, Plains Twp., West Pittston, Hughestown and Main Twp. in Columbia County were at the school to drill, said Principal Jon Pollard.
Several Lackawanna County SWAT members are instructors for active shooter situations, said SWAT commander Jim Decker. His team has drilled regularly with departments in Lackawanna County since 2001 and helped school districts and police departments with ideas for live shooter response plans, he said.
In a basement storage room, officers entered one at a time and confronted a SWAT team member role-playing as a shooter. With instructors watching, Wyoming police Capt. Chris Mercavitch talked to one fake shooter then turned around to confront a second shooter holding a gun to his own head.
After each officer ran through the scenario, SWAT members gave their comments. A man with the gun held to his head isn't just a threat to himself, but to people around him, so officers should shoot him if he's not obeying commands, said one trainer. They also advised police to seek cover when confronting their targets and put plenty of space between them and the person they're engaging.
Wyoming police Officer Tom Farrell said he pitched the training scenario to the school district because he had never taken part in a live shooter drill during his time as an officer.
"It think this is a fantastic idea," said Carl Yorina, a board member observing the training. "It gets guys talking, sharing ideas."
Contact the writer: bwellock@citizensvoice.com, @CVBillW