Pasco County Sheriff's K9 Tactical Forensic Anthropology Training Center
When crimes like the Pulse nightclub shooting or the shootings at the Ft. Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport occur, there are two major responses by law enforcement.
First, there's the immediate, tactical reply. Then there's the forensic investigation.
A center that brings training for those two stages together under one roof is in the works in Pasco County, and University of South Florida researchers are playing a major role.
The proposed facility is named Florida F.I.R.S.T., for the "Forensic Institute for Research, Security and Tactical Training." It would be located near the county detention center in Land O'Lakes.
Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco says, in the age of terrorism, having a place to train officers for different scenarios is important. But this plan adds the scientific investigation that follows an incident to the equation.
"After you have a situation such as a mass shooting, there's a forensics piece," Nocco said at a Monday news conference. "It's going to be a bad day but the more help we can get because unless the suspect is basically taken out at the scene, there will be a trial, and at that trial, we want to make sure their prosecution goes through."
Photos by various photographers. View full story HERE: wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu