WIESBADEN, Germany- Pop pop. The sound of gunshot echoes up the stairs.?The smell of gunpowder wafts through the air. "You're all going to die," screams an unidentified man. The team of four police move swiftly forward as a unit, crouched and clutching each others' vests. "Police," one yells. "We're coming."
Turning the corner, they face the shooter and with four against one, he drops his weapon. He's handcuffed, and the danger is gone.
Fortunately, it's just a drill. The officer in charge breaks the scene with a hearty congratulations for a job well done, slapping the officers on their backs.
The 529th Military Police Company teamed up with the 4th Precinct Polizei to participate in Polizei-led active shooter training to familiarize Polizei officer with American facilities and share tactics.?The training culminated with exercises designed to practice tactics and test communication procedures between MP and Polizei dispatch centers Aug. 13-14 at Wiesbaden Middle School, according to LTC Joseph Hissim, director of Emergency Services.
One of the lessons learned from the Washington D.C. Navy Yard shooting last September was that the D.C. Metropolitan Police responding to the installation to assist military police were not familiar with the base facilities, said Hissim. It is important that Polizei officers from the 4th Precinct are familiar with our facilities and that our response procedures are coordinated, because they cover the Aukamm, Crestview, and Hainerberg housing areas, he added.?
The MPs and Polizei responded to the active shooter in teams of four, making their way to the shooter downstairs, apprehending and handcuffing him on the ground.
"It's interesting to see the progression from not knowing how to work together to working together really well," noted Master Sgt. Paul Evans, provost sergeant, "especially given the language barrier."
The main point was getting the Soldiers and German officers to gain confidence so they will act in high stress environment, added Ecko.
"This is one of the best projects in my 40 years of police work," he said. "It takes a group of involved and engaged people, and that's what we have with our American counterparts. We have great cooperation."
The Polizei conduct active shooter training quarterly.
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