Atlanta Chief: Police to take ‘aerial view’ of big events after Las Vegas
Atlanta’s top cop said the massacre in Las Vegas will lead to a change in how her department handles large events.
“Now you’re going to see us take more of an aerial view,” Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields said Tuesday in a meeting with the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s editorial board.
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Those helicopters, she said, will carry SWAT officers trained to shoot from the air.
APD often uses its aerial force, Shields said, but will rely on it more heavily now.
“Would I say every time there was an event at Lakewood or Piedmont Park that we had a sniper ready, I’d say no,” she said. “That wouldn’t have been a part of our thought process.”
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But Sunday night's mass shooting on the Vegas strip that left at least 59 people dead hundreds more injured changed everything. The gunman, identified as 64-year-old Stephen Craig Paddock, opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel, targeting fans attending a country music concert.
“We always have to self-examine,” Shields said. “You can never assume you have it under control. It’s very hard to anticipate what some of these individuals have proven themselves capable of.”
-Please return for a more details on Shields’ interview with the AJC editorial board.
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
