(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— In response to last week's ambush murders of five law enforcement officers in Dallas, Texas, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced today that he has expanded advanced training opportunities available to Ohio peace officers to help them prepare for an ambush attack.
The Ohio Attorney General's Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA) has offered advanced training on surprise violent attacks since 2014. The training broadened to provide additional focus on firearm attacks in 2015.
Now, four additional training sessions have been added to the OPOTA course catalog in an effort to give additional officers access to this critical training.
"Officers have always been vulnerable to ambush-style attacks, but the skills officers learn in this training are crucial now more than ever," said Attorney General DeWine. "By adding additional opportunities for officers to take these courses, I hope we can help prepare more officers should an ambush attack occur."
Counter Ambush Tactics for Law Enforcement will be offered from August 23-25 at OPOTA's London facility and from August 30 to September 1 at the Summit County Sheriff's Training Facility. The course offers strategies and techniques to avoid being ambushed and to increase chances of survival during an ambush. Live-fire drills focus on surviving ambushes from close-range and far-range, and students will also learn how to rescue injured officers/bystanders and how to administer self-aid.
Critical Survival Skills for Patrol Officers will be offered from September 13-15 at OPOTA's London facility and from September 28-30 at the Summit County Sheriff's Training Facility. Throughout the three-day course, students participate in exercises and scenarios, such as live-fire and force-on-force exercises, that teach various tactics and skills needed to survive surprise violent attacks. Participants take part in injured officer drills, practice shooting in and around vehicles, and learn counter-ambush tactics.
For more information and to register, law enforcement officers should visit the OPOTA course catalog.
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Media Contacts:
Dan Tierney: 614-466-3840
Jill Del Greco: 614-466-3840