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Police responding to Pulse nightclub performed well, report says

Posted at 4:21 AM, Dec 19, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-19 04:21:20-05

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A federal report says the response of Orlando police and other agencies likely saved lives during a deadly mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Florida.

The U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services released a review Monday of the June 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting, where a man killed 49 people before being fatally shot by police. Officials interviewed first-responders, reviewed 911 calls and researched police procedures.

The report says the Orlando Police Department's response was appropriate and consistent with national guidelines and best practices. Officials say Orlando police were particularly successful in leveraging existing relationships with federal, state and local public safety agencies.

The report also called for additional training, noting that many responding officers were psychologically unprepared to process the aftermath of a mass shooting.