[toddst]

How the HELL did the perps outshoot the LEO's?

Many (most) police officers are poorly trained in use of their weapons. The pressure from a serious engagement causes vulnerability to panic, as opposed to reverting to training.

[Jersey Kid]

Cops are not really use to stuff like that in FairLawn.
It's a nice middle class/upper middle class town with great schools and stuff.
Paterson though is right across the river, but even the part of Paterson that is bordering Fair Lawn is not that bad (comparing to downtown Paterson).
It's might be the first shootout with police in FairLawn's history.
I barely heard a police siren in 6 years that I've been living here.

[Major_Risktaker]

"serious engagement causes vulnerability to panic"

Hmmmmm...History will prove you right.

One "Dirty Harry Type" police officer at the scene could have stop two students at Columbine High. (IMHO)

However, the Officer at Columbine High after a few shot from a 18 year old punk hide behind his police car, wet his panties and called for help. What a wussy that cop was.

Look what came in to stop two kids!

Emergency Response

Ten fire apparatus, 48 rescue/ambulances and a total of 166 fire and EMS personnel responded to the incident from the Littleton Fire Department and five neighboring fire agencies. Additionally, two helicopters and four ambulance companies provided assistance. The Littleton Police SWAT Team and many other members of the police department were among the first on the scene. They assisted in securing the perimeter and evacuating the wounded. The police department's entire detective division was deployed to the criminal investigation at the request of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. Littleton police and fire dispatchers fielded hundreds of calls related to the incident.

Victims

• 12 students, 1 teacher, 2 suspects killed • 24 students transported to six local hospitals • 160 students were triaged at the scene

I would have shot the kid with the gun, called for back up, grab the shotgun and hunt down the what ever came my way.

One more thing, I have had a shotgun held twice at the back of my head during a hold up. I wasn't scared or nervous, just pissed off that this was happening to all of my friends and I was not armed (because you can't carry) to eliminate these two punks.

If you were the Police Officer at Columbine with first contact taking fire what would you do?

[ExSoldier]

I agree...99% of all cops on the beat today are terrible at both hitting a target and in solving a tactical scenario. Remember that most cops are products of the public schools and their antigun agendas. Every time the LEO's come out to shoot with my IDPA club, they wind up getting their tails waxed...big time. OTOH, I know quite a few who have wised up and joined IDPA and actually participate on a regular basis. These former street cops are now on the TAC squad or serving warrants or doing the super dangerous undercover drug deals etc. The rest of 'em still handle their piece like it was a snake and gonna bite 'em. You want total justification for the concept of a well armed civilian populace? Want to justify the concept of a CCW system? Look at your local cops.