On Monday the Associated Press reported that 18-year-old Michael Kennedy went to the Fairfax County (VA) PD armed with several firearms and a large amount of ammo. He crouched between two cars and began shooting. During the gun fight, Detective Vicky O. Armel was fatally wounded, and one of her colleagues was shot several times in the chest. He remains in intensive care.
‘Troubled’ gunman kills officer at Va. station
Go to Detective Vicky O. Armel’s Officer Down page
View the Va. shootings slideshow
Captain Maggie Deboard of the Fairfax County (VA) PD shares her powerful thoughts on this story:
I have had two officers under my command shot within the past 10 months. Both were survivors. This one is much more difficult, for reasons beyond the obvious death that occurred on this particular shooting. As one of my officers from our prior shooting put it last night, he stated that since his shooting, he has become increasingly aware of everything around him at all times while on duty. But when he comes back to the station and through the gate at the end of his shift, back to his home base, he has been able to relax and let down his guard. Now that we have been penetrated inside our own house, we can no longer even afford to do that. Getting hit at “home” was not something anyone truly felt would happen, although tactically it has always remained a possibility.
We have practiced Active Shooter scenarios for years, but not for an assault at our own house. But what did occur is that the training received from that kicked in, and officers with rifles responded quickly to end what could have been a much more devastating event. Training continues to work.
I will add that the officer who is still alive, after taking numerous hits from what appears to be an AK47, was communicating on his radio after being hit, providing valuable information on the shooter and the event as it was unfolding. He was critically wounded but is stable and not out of the woods yet. He was overheard on the radio yesterday as he was calling for medical help saying he was not going to die today. He said this couple of times. There is no doubt in my mind that his will to survive has kept him with us to this point. And he did in fact make it through the day yesterday.
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P1 columnist Mike Williams, who knows Capt. Deboard personally, responded to her comments:
The comments are very poignant. They certainly speak to the effectiveness of training and the importance of the survival mind set.
The comments about the incident occurring in one’s own backyard are important, too. This is a common response in civilian workplace violence; people expect to come to work, be safe, do their work, be safe, and go home. Workplace trauma shatters that security and changes expectations and wariness. It’s also felt that traumatic events have such an impact because they undermine assumptions of safety and control in our lives; it requires a whole new view.
There is no reason why this should be different for police officers, although there may be additional concerns. Expecting to be safe when out of the field is not unreasonable, although clearly it is cautioned to be always be alert and avoid complacency even off duty. More so, however, is the expectation that such an event should “not happen here” at the home of the guardians, those trained to respond and ‘know better.” Of course, much of this is retrospective view and unfair to themselves; hopefully officers are not experiencing too much of this and are able to see the quality of their response as a balance.
Police officers may certainly have a different set of assumptions about safety and security in the world from the public’s view so that many events are less disturbing or traumatic given this view and expectations; but when it strikes so close to home, it likely causes reflection and questioning of assumptions.
Hope they are doing ok down there.