Police instructor trains Dayton City on active‑threat response and de‑escalation

Robert Bullock, a police officer and active‑shooter instructor (agency not specified), led a training at the March 11 Dayton City work session focused on active‑threat preparedness and de‑escalation for city officials and staff. The session covered a three‑option survival model — get out, actively barricade, act with aggression as a last resort — along with mental rehearsals, improvised weapons, and techniques to de‑escalate an agitated person.

Bullock said the frequency of active‑threat incidents has risen and stressed planning and practice so people will not “freeze” in a crisis. “The best way not to get shot in an active shooter situation is to get out,” he told the room, urging audience members to identify multiple exit options and to rehearse them mentally and, where practicable, physically.

The training laid out the multi‑option response the instructor teaches: first, locate and use exit routes beyond the obvious main entrance; second, if escape is impossible, create an active barricade to slow or deter an attacker; third, if breached, use improvised weapons and coordinated, aggressive action to disrupt and subdue the attacker. Bullock used case studies — including Columbine and Virginia Tech — to illustrate how different responses affected survival rates and to explain current law‑enforcement tactics that prioritize immediate entry to stop a suspect once officers arrive on scene.

Bullock discussed simple improvisations and group tactics to disrupt an attacker’s decision cycle (the OODA loop): throwing objects to make a shooter flinch, staggering throws from multiple people, then tackling the attacker if possible. He demonstrated with volunteers and said improvised weapons can include chairs, keyboards, gavels or nameplates. He cautioned that such actions carry risk and may not prevent all gunfire but can reduce accuracy and buy time.

The presentation also covered behavioral and pre‑attack indicators that officers watch for in crowds — including repetitive hand movements, ‘‘peacocking’’ or puffing out the chest, unusual touching of the waistband (so‑called “padding”), a fixed or ‘‘thousand‑yard’’ stare, and other body‑language cues. Bullock cautioned that intuition and paying attention to those cues can be important, especially for people who may otherwise rationalize a bad feeling.

On de‑escalation, the instructor recommended first de‑escalating oneself (box breathing: four seconds in, hold, out, hold) before attempting to calm another person. He described an empathy‑based approach drawn from the FBI hostage rescue team’s stairway model: active listening (paraphrasing and emotional labeling), empathy, then quick efforts at influencing behavior when rapport has been established. Bullock advised avoiding phrases such as “calm down” and “I understand” (the latter when it’s not true), and instead using specific paraphrasing and open‑ended questions to let a person vent and deflate their anger.

Bullock referenced recent, local‑area examples and national incidents to illustrate profiles of suspects and the range of outcomes. He cited a Minnesota clinic shooting covered in news clips during the presentation and referenced a past New Hope city council shooting as a case in which officers on site neutralized a suspect quickly. He noted that some people who commit these acts fit an ‘‘ideology profile’’ discussed during the session but said each case varies.

City staff and council members asked practical questions during and after the presentation about school drills, use of fire alarms, whether audience members at meetings commonly carry firearms, and whether people should leave to retrieve a weapon from a vehicle during an incident. Bullock advised against running back into a building to get a firearm because arriving officers under stress may mistake armed civilians for attackers and because moving away from the danger area is generally preferable.

The instructor closed by urging attendees to share mental‑rehearsal practices with family members and to consider routine, periodic rehearsals of exit plans for meetings. He suggested that after an incident, a prearranged safe meeting place with water, food and restroom access can help attendees recover and account for people.

Dayton City did not take any formal action during the session; the presentation was instructional and intended to inform staff and council members of preparedness options and de‑escalation techniques.