FRESNO (KMJ) — The Chief of Fresno Police says anyone who finds themselves in the middle of a terrorist attack can help investigators find those responsible, but they should be aware of their personal safety too.
Cell phone video filmed during both the mass shooting in Las Vegas and Tuesday’s terrorist attack in New York is giving the public an understanding of how the tragedies unfolded, but footage like that also helps law enforcement piece together what happened.
“Any time there is physical evidence that can be provided to police it is helpful,” explained Chief Jerry Dyer.
“Certainly when somebody pulls out a smartphone and starts to videotape the acts of the suspect, or the surrounding area, law enforcement officers are able to go back through that video and look for things that may be helpful.”
The resulting investigation following the Boston Marathon bombing was an instance when footage was used to identify the suspects.
“Ultimately solved that case,” revealed Chief Dyer.
For those who are armed, Fresno’s Police Chief considers training and experience to be the most important factors when making a decision to intervene.
“If law enforcement is present, I would discourage anyone from pulling out a firearm because they could be mistaken for a suspect or terrorist,” he revealed.
“But if law enforcement is not on scene, and that person feels as though they have the skill set and the opportunity to engage the suspect and to eliminate the threat, then by all means. That is going to be a personal choice.”
“I would caution people though that sometimes there’s more than one attacker; there’s more than one suspect. They may only see the individual that they’re engaging and there could be somebody nearby that’s with them that ultimately could end up injuring or killing the person intervening.
“Again, it’s a personal choice.”
Hear the report from KMJ’s Dominic McAndrew as it aired:
