Oakland County Sheriff's Office Issues Statements on Staff Protocol for Neutralizing Active School Shooter Threat

OAKLAND COUNTY, MI – May 27, 2022 - The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office has been inundated with media requests seeking comment about the law enforcement response to the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas and comparing it to our handling of the Oxford High School tragedy on Nov. 30.

Nine days after the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla, Sheriff Michael Bouchard sent out an explicit reiteration of his existing policy orders department-wide that Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were expected to follow in any active shooter situation.

“If we arrive on a similar scene our job is to go in without delay, locate, and neutralize an active shooter,” Bouchard said. “I will either go in first, by your side, or at your six depending on our arrival times…This is not the time to question whether or not this job choice is for you.”

Those instructions were followed by Deputies who responded to the Nov. 30 active shooter incident at Oxford High School. The Oxford gunman was found, the threat neutralized, and he was taken into custody within minutes of the Deputies’ arrival on the scene. The gunman, a student at the school, was found with 18 unspent rounds in his possession.

A copy of the original message from Feb. 23, 2018, is below for your convenience and to give you background on the expectation from Sheriff Bouchard, should an Oakland County Sheriff’s Deputy be called to a similar situation.

Sheriff Michael Bouchard's February 23, 2018 Message to Sheriff's Office Personnel Regarding Expectations in any Active Shooter Situation

From: Michael Bouchard

To: Sheriff's Office Personnel

Sent: Friday, February 23, 2018 3:36 PM

Sheriff’s Office Personnel,

I am sure we were all sickened and dismayed when we heard the news regarding the Broward County Deputy who was on scene at the Florida school shooting and stayed outside as the shooting rampage occurred. I want to be clear on my expectations. If we arrive on a similar scene our job is to go in without delay, locate, and neutralize an active shooter. I will either go in first, by your side, or at your six depending on our arrival times. Regardless, I will be going in. This is not the time to question whether or not this job choice is for you. There are many ways people can help other people in this world, but if they are not up to the demands of the moment they need to find other ways to make a difference and leave police work now.

Today’s challenges are not getting any easier and neither is our job. However, we stand on the Thin Blue Line and face those threats head-on. In these moments, we must not only be the best trained and best equipped, but unwavering in our willingness to face any threat.

Stay safe, stay vigilant, and be ready. I stand with you.

Sheriff Bouchard

###

May 31, 2022, Oakland County Sheriff's Office and Rochester.Life Staff