A new Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA) course is designed to give law enforcement, prosecutors, dispatchers, and school teachers and administrators insight into the thoughts and actions of active school shooters before they commit their crimes. OPOTA will offer the Profile of an Active Shooter course free of charge throughout the state in October and November.
Taught by James Burke, an OPOTA law enforcement training officer, the course incorporates Lt. Dan Marcou’s “Five Phases of the Active Shooter.” Marcou is a retired SWAT officer, experienced trainer, and veteran of an active shooter incident.
The course will help law enforcement handle active shooter situations by illustrating how the Virginia Tech and Columbine shooters followed each of the five phases.
Course dates and locations are as follows (with all sessions running from 9 a.m. to noon):
Oct. 4 — OPOTA Richfield, 4055 Highlander Parkway, Richfield, Ohio; OPOTA Course 55-508-12-01
Oct. 16 — Owens Community College, Law Enforcement and Fire Science Building, Room 145/147, 30335 Oregon Road, Perrysburg, Ohio; OPOTA Course 05-508-12-01
Nov. 13 — Columbus Police Academy, 1000 N. Hague Ave., Columbus, Ohio; OPOTA Course 05-508-12-02
Nov. 20 — Cincinnati Police Academy, 800 Evans St., Cincinnati, Ohio; OPOTA Course 05-508-12-03
Anyone interested in taking the course may register using OPOTA’s online registration form at
www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/OPOTARegistration. Law enforcement officers who pre-register will receive an OPOTA certificate at the conclusion of the training.