Oregon School Shooting - Umpqua College
Members of the media attend a press conference with Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts, Celinez Nunez, assistant special agent in charge for the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, and Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin.
(Randy L. Rasmussen/Staff)
Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts didn't wait for an invitation to help out in Roseburg, scene of the Umpqua Community College shootings.
He knew from his experience at Clackamas Town Center and Reynolds High School that an active-shooter incident would severely strain local resources. So he hopped a plane to Roseburg with FBI Special Agent in Charge Gregory Bretzing and Acting U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams and jumped right in.
"I already knew (Douglas County Sheriff) John Hanlin from trainings and conferences we'd been to together," Roberts said. "So, when he saw me, he said, 'You remember you told me you have to deal with a barrage of decisions in a mass shooting incident? Well, you were right.'"
When Roberts assessed the situation, he immediately called in two Clackamas County detectives and a public information officer, making everyone available as needed to the incident commanders. Roberts wound up staying for several days.
Moreover, Roberts, chairman of the Oregon Task Force on School Safety, brought with him trial-by-fire expertise -- including what he's gained since the incidents at Clackamas Town Center and Reynolds.
After Clackamas Town Center shooter Jacob Tyler Roberts killed two people and wounded a third before killing himself, Roberts was invited to a White House conference hosted by former U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, along with teachers from Sandy Hook Elementary School and Virginia Tech, to discuss how to improve responses to mass shootings.
Then, after the 2013 shooting, Roberts invited Daniel Flannery, of the Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education at Case Western Reserve University, to lead a seminar at Camp Withycombe on how to prevent school violence.
Roberts and Undersheriff Matt Ellington presented a safety-training video they made for the International Council of Shopping Centers at the National Retail Federation conference in San Diego and in Clark County, Washington.
Roberts also formed a countywide task force to address preventive safety measures and crisis-response plans for Clackamas County schools. The task force includes representatives from public-safety agencies and school superintendents. Its recommendations go directly to Clackamas Educational Service District, which distributes them to the schools.
Police agencies now regularly conduct training exercises in schools, shopping centers, churches, arenas and stadiums in hopes of anticipating problems in evolving, high-risk situations.
In June 2014, when Reynolds freshman Jared Michael Padgett killed a 14-year-old student, wounded a teacher and shot himself, Roberts hurried over, again bringing help.
Roberts said he wasn't the only one who answered the bell. Other police agencies immediately responded, often jumping into support roles so the first responders could do their work.
"The most amazing thing is a community comes together in a time of need," Roberts said. "Although it's a crisis and a tragedy, it makes you feel good to see everyone working together."
-- Rick Bella rbella@oregonian.com
503-294-5915; @southnewshound