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John Marshall Hosts Law Enforcement Seminar
By BETHANY A. ROMANEK
POSTED: March 21, 2008
GLEN DALE — An intense training session — featuring 911 calls recorded during a recent school shooting — was held for area law enforcement and educators Thursday at the John Marshall High School Center for the Performing Arts.
More than 150 people attended the review of the events that took place Oct. 2, 2006, when a gunman took hostages and killed five Amish school girls, then turned the gun on himself at a one-room schoolhouse in the village of Nickel Mines, Pa.
Lt. Allen Krawczel, a 19-year veteran of the Pennsylvania State Police, and Trooper Mark Magyar provided a detailed look into the school shooting, which resulted in the death of the Amish girls, the serious injury of five others and the death of Charles Roberts.
During the tragedy, Krawczel responded to the scene of the West Nickel Mines School and directly supervised the criminal investigation. In addition, Krawczel was the Operations Commander for the security detail for the victims’ funerals.
Magyar, a five-year veteran of the Pennsylvania State Police, was one of the first responders at the scene and was one of the troopers who led the assault on the school building.
The Thursday presentation included a timeline of the Nickel Mines event, as well as information regarding emergency medical response, criminal investigation, handling the media, community concerns and lessons learned. The workshop was developed for a law enforcement audience, and attendance was restricted to include law enforcement officers and school administrators only.
“We had numerous requests after the incident on Oct. 2, 2006, for information on what had happened,” said Krawczel. “It’s important for us to take the incident and discuss it in detail. ... We go into detail on all that took place — lessons learned, what went well and what didn’t.”
Krawczel said since October 2006, more than 100 presentations on the subject have been made from Washington, D.C., to Canada. By discussing the tragic events, Krawczel said law enforcement can learn better response techniques.
“I hope the participants get a better understanding of what happened in this particular situation and are better prepared in a similar incident,” he said. “You may know the A, B, C and D plan of what you are going to do, but you need to think of that E, F and G part.”
Suzanne Park, outreach manager for the National Corrections and Law Enforcement Training and Technology Center in Moundsville, said Thursday’s lessons are not hearsay, but are actual testimonials from people who lived the events. She also said discussing the tragedy plays an important role in teaching valuable lessons.
‘‘Playing back 911 tapes you hear the dispatchers,’’ Park said. ‘‘You hear them trying to get all of the information. So you are hearing all of that stuff. It’s almost like you are living it with them. It’s very explicit, graphic information that unfolded.’’
More than 150 people attended the review of the events that took place Oct. 2, 2006, when a gunman took hostages and killed five Amish school girls, then turned the gun on himself at a one-room schoolhouse in the village of Nickel Mines, Pa.
Lt. Allen Krawczel, a 19-year veteran of the Pennsylvania State Police, and Trooper Mark Magyar provided a detailed look into the school shooting, which resulted in the death of the Amish girls, the serious injury of five others and the death of Charles Roberts.
During the tragedy, Krawczel responded to the scene of the West Nickel Mines School and directly supervised the criminal investigation. In addition, Krawczel was the Operations Commander for the security detail for the victims’ funerals.
Magyar, a five-year veteran of the Pennsylvania State Police, was one of the first responders at the scene and was one of the troopers who led the assault on the school building.
The Thursday presentation included a timeline of the Nickel Mines event, as well as information regarding emergency medical response, criminal investigation, handling the media, community concerns and lessons learned. The workshop was developed for a law enforcement audience, and attendance was restricted to include law enforcement officers and school administrators only.
“We had numerous requests after the incident on Oct. 2, 2006, for information on what had happened,” said Krawczel. “It’s important for us to take the incident and discuss it in detail. ... We go into detail on all that took place — lessons learned, what went well and what didn’t.”
Krawczel said since October 2006, more than 100 presentations on the subject have been made from Washington, D.C., to Canada. By discussing the tragic events, Krawczel said law enforcement can learn better response techniques.
“I hope the participants get a better understanding of what happened in this particular situation and are better prepared in a similar incident,” he said. “You may know the A, B, C and D plan of what you are going to do, but you need to think of that E, F and G part.”
Suzanne Park, outreach manager for the National Corrections and Law Enforcement Training and Technology Center in Moundsville, said Thursday’s lessons are not hearsay, but are actual testimonials from people who lived the events. She also said discussing the tragedy plays an important role in teaching valuable lessons.
‘‘Playing back 911 tapes you hear the dispatchers,’’ Park said. ‘‘You hear them trying to get all of the information. So you are hearing all of that stuff. It’s almost like you are living it with them. It’s very explicit, graphic information that unfolded.’’
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easyez
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03-23-08 11:39 PM
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If a disturbed person took your child hostage, would you want the police to pound on the door to the room where your child is being held hostage? Here's a quote from "The Happening, Nickel Mines School Tragedy" by Harvey Yoder "How did I know he was going to shoot? I just felt it. That and because of all the racket outside,We heard a pounding on the double doors in the back. Something strong was being used! Would they rescue us? Then the shooting started."
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