The ripple effect of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman
Douglas High School was tremendous. Not only were the kids in that particular
building affected, but so were all of the MSD students, their families, their
friends, and countless others across the country. However, people often neglect
to realize the immense trauma that law enforcement officers have had to cope
with since that fateful day. We, as residents, are accustomed to viewing our
police officers as heroic figures who we count on to jump right in when
disaster strikes. While our officers are indeed heroes, they are also human
beings. On February 14, they witnessed a horrifying scene that undoubtedly left
them with their own emotional scars.
They, too, have a perspective worth hearing about.
Due to the ongoing investigation of the events that happened that day, the
Coral Springs Police Department could not have any face-to-face or telephone
interviews to discuss the shooting, nor could they provide the names of any
officers who offered insight into their experiences on that day. However, in a
collective written response, the CSPD officers described their immediate
reaction as they entered the 1200 building on February 14.
“Despite the emotional gravity of the situation, we immediately fell back on
our active shooter training,” they said. “There was a lot going on. Cell phones
ringing, students crying – it tested our resolve to focus on what we needed to
do.”
While some officers were given the job of eliminating the threat, others were
tasked with evacuating students and staff, and still others immediately began
treating wounded victims. Prior to this incident, all Coral Springs police
officers had been given a kit to provide emergency medical treatment –
something which turned out to be extremely valuable while working on the scene.
“We are trained to use this kit containing combat gauze, tourniquets, and
occlusive dressings. That training proved to be crucial in this incident,” the
officers said. But it wasn’t only the Coral Springs Police that provided this
aid: “Countless Broward County Sheriff’s deputies, officers from multiple
jurisdictions, and Coral Springs – Parkland EMS personnel assisted in treating
the victims of this tragedy.”
Granted, the CSPD officers are well aware of the controversy surrounding the
law enforcement response on that day, and they continue to cooperate with all
authorities that are investigating the incident. In their response, the
officers affirmed their commitment to “learning from [their] experiences” and
continuing to work with other agencies to ensure that tragedies like these
don’t happen again. At the same time, they noted, they continue to have a
“tremendous working relationship” with the officers of the Broward Sheriff’s
Office.
“There were many courageous deputies and officers who responded on that fateful
day, from multiple jurisdictions, whose actions were nothing short of heroic,”
they said.
Of course, since the terrible tragedy, the CSPD officers have also had to take
care of themselves and their emotional wellbeing. In the aftermath of the
shooting, the police department offered both individual officers and their
families counseling, and Critical Incident Stress Management team members from
Coral Springs, Plantation, and Pembroke Pines were available at any time of
day. But for the officers, what continues to be one of their greatest sources
of comfort is spending time with their family and friends.
That and serving the people of the Parkland and Coral Springs community. The
officers said that their favorite part of working in these cities is the
support they get from the residents who live in them. After the shooting, they
said they received countless letters, emails, and social media posts from residents
expressing their gratitude and support.
To this day, they continue to feel that outpouring of love.
“The support we get from our community is unmatched,” they said. “We receive
daily messages and phone calls from community members thanking us for our
service.”
When asked whether this
event will continue to impact our community in the future, the officers said
there is no way for it not to.
“You can’t be touched by tragedy without feeling the effects of it,” they said.
“The victims of the MSD shooting… were our friends, our family, our neighbors
whose lives were cut short by a violent act. There are empty chairs at the
dinner table every night where children used to sit with their families in our
community.”
At the same time, the officers shared their hope for the future and their
commitment to continuing the healing process:
“What we’ll take away from this as we move forward is the chance to come
together, to heal, and to learn, not just locally, but across the country.”