Justice Department to conduct review of Orlando police response to nightclub shooting
ORLANDO, Fla. _ At the request of Orlando Police Chief John Mina, the Department of Justice on Friday confirmed it will help coordinate an after-action assessment of OPD's response to the June 12 massacre at the Pulse nightclub, the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.
The DOJ's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services will find a "technical assistance provider and use subject matter experts" to review OPD's preparation and response to the mass shooting, strategies and tactics used during the incident and how the department is functioning in the aftermath of the mass casualty event, according to a news release.
In an interview with the Orlando Sentinel last week, Mina said he decided to ask for the independent review after talking with police chiefs across the nation. Reviews are also being done by the FBI, the Federal Department of Law Enforcement and OPD's own internal affairs department, Mina said.
Police chiefs seeking feedback on their department can request the DOJ probe, which also offers guidance to other law enforcement agencies facing high-profile and sensitive cases _ not necessarily due to alleged misconduct. The same initiative, COPS' Critical Response Technical Assistance program, was used in San Bernardino, Calif., after a terrorist attack killed 14 at a nonprofit center offering support for developmental disabilities and Ferguson, Mo., after the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown by a police officer.
_Orlando Sentinel
