DOJ Launches Probe into Orlando Mass Shooting Police Response

Washington, D.C. — The Orlando Police Department’s actions in the moments and hours after Omar Mateen walked into the Pulse nightclub and opened fire, killing 49 people and wounding 53 others before he was shot and killed, are now being scrutinized by the U.S. Justice Department.

The critical eye, however, has been welcomed by the Florida police department.

“I commend Orlando Police Chief John Mina for his leadership in asking for this assessment,” Ronald Davis, director of the DOJ’s Office of Community Oriented Police Services (COPS Office), said in a Friday statement announcing the review.

COPS Office reviews are sometimes requested by local law enforcement agencies following high-profile events, the statement explained. The agency’s Critical Response Technical Assistance program delves into such issues as preparation and response to a mass shooting, the strategies and tactics used during an incident and how an agency handles the aftermath of a such an event.

The announcement of the DOJ probe came one day after an attack in Nice, France, that left 84 dead and many wounded. The attack, reportedly carried out by one man driving a large truck, occurred during Bastille Day celebrations. The French government has classified the attack as an act of terror.

It is hoped the DOJ probe into the police response during and after the June 12 attack on the Pulse Orlando Nightclub & Ultra Bar will provide lessons for other law enforcement agencies should another terror attack occur on American soil, the DOJ statement said. The U.S. government has declared Mateen’s actions a terrorist act.

“The lessons learned from this independent, objective and critical review of such a high-profile incident will benefit not only the Orlando Police Department and its community; it will also serve to provide all law enforcement critical guidance and recommendations for responding to future such incidents,” Davis said.

COPS Office assessments have been conducted in the past in such cities as San Bernardino, California; Ferguson, Missouri; and Tampa. The Tampa Police Department and Mayor Bob Buckhorn jointly requested a review after allegations of racial profiling arose in regard to the city’s enforcement of bicycle laws. That review ultimately resulted in 20 recommendations for the department to act upon, WFLA reported.

Mina’s request for a review was also lauded by U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley III.

“The results of this review should help not only the Orlando Police Department, but also other law enforcement agencies forced to deal with terrorist attacks," Bentley said.

A timetable for the review’s completion was not provided.

Photo of the Pulse nightclub courtesy of the Orlando Police Department