National Association of School Resource Officers comments on officer involved shooting outside Gadsden elementary school

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - WBRC is still learning more about the officer involved shooting outside a Gadsden elementary school on June 9, 2022.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said 32-year-old Robert Tyler White was shot and killed after trying to grab a school resource officer’s gun and break inside a parked police car.

School officials said they got reports that White was pulling on school building doors around 10:00 a.m. Police said he was trying to get inside a parked squad car and then began resisting police and got in a fight with the school resource officer. Police said White also went for that officer’s gun.

ALEA said White was then shot by officers and killed, but WBRC does not know if White himself was armed or what department fired shots at him.

Gadsden School Superintendent, Tony Reddick, said he’s thankful for the brave actions of the school resource officer, who went outside to talk with the man and also called in for back up from Gadsden Police and other surrounding departments.

Mo Canady with the National Association of School Resource Officers said that is what SROs are supposed to do when there is a potential threat on or near school property. Canady said when a suspect goes for an officer’s gun, that’s considered a deadly force encounter for officers.

“When that happens, that is a deadly force encounter for a law enforcement officer,” Canady said. “When someone is attempting to take your firearm or is successful in taking it, that is the way that has to be dealt with. I think it is certainly another indicator of the importance of an appropriate law enforcement presence on a school environment. We never want to see loss of life, even in a suspect, but sometimes that is the end result unfortunately.”

ALEA is still investigating this case.

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