On September 16, 2022 at 12:02 p.m., Officers were dispatched to South Medford High School for the report of an active shooter incident. One School Resource Officer (SRO) was on scene at the time of the report and many other officers, as well as other SRO’s, responded to assist with the incident.
The school was placed on lockdown and following a coordinated search of the building and surrounding area, it was quickly determined the report was false. Shortly after, staff and students were able to return to class.
“Having an SRO onsite proved to be an invaluable resource for us today,” said Lieutenant Pietila. “The SRO quickly helped coordinate our response to this incident and worked in conjunction with school staff to ensure the safety of our students.”
It is a crime under O.R.S. 162.375 to initiate a false report related to emergencies involving danger to lives or property. These types of false reports cause a substantial amount of alarm in our community. MPD takes these situations very seriously and will work to make an arrest on this case.
Our department is dedicated to the safety of our students, school staff and surrounding residents. In addition to our SRO program, all officers receive significant training in the response to active threat situations in our community. This is to ensure we respond quickly and efficiently to critical incidents like the one today, remarked a Medford Police spokesperson.
MPD says they appreciate the close partnership they have with the Medford School District and together, were able to resolve this incident quickly.
Source: MPD
