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SEC tournament monitors crowd after shooting
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The 51 uniformed officers working security at the SEC tournament went on high alert Friday morning after the shootings at the Fulton County Courthouse.
Atlanta Police Lt. K.A. Anderson redeployed many of the Atlanta police officers, Georgia State Patrol and Fulton County Sheriff’s officers from inside to outside the Georgia Dome.
“We did it to monitor the crowd better in case the suspect did come in the area,” said Anderson, police coordinator for the Dome. There was no evidence that he did come near the Dome, Anderson said.
Officers received flyers with identifying information about the suspect they were looking for, and they monitored a common Georgia Dome radio frequency for updates.
SEC tournament director Brad Davis watched CNN coverage from a TV at courtside during warm-ups before the opening quarterfinal game between Alabama and Ole Miss. Dome officials had called Davis in his hotel room minutes after the shootings to discuss security plans.
The Georgia Dome’s 290 yellow-jacketed security officers were not redeployed, said Kevin Duvall, assistant general manager of the Dome.
SEC tournament security is usually a straightforward affair.
“It’s a real peaceful crowd,” Anderson said. “It’s a college crowd. It’s a family crowd.”
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