A successful, as well as tense, active shooter exercise at the Behavioral Health and Public Health office building in Grass Valley Friday morning. Police Department intern Drake Churchman portrayed the shooter. Churchman, also an Administration of Justice major at Sierra College, says he gained entry into the lobby, carrying a handgun replica…

click to listen to Drake Churchman

Liz Matson, who’s the health and wellness manager for county public health, was one of the potential victims. She says they were only aware that there would be some sort of incident between 10am and 12 noon. She says the receptionist in the lobby managed to escape and notify staff members inside the building about the shooter. As part of their training, they have the option to run, hide, or fight, although, in this case, they were instructed not to fight…

click to listen to Liz Matson

Matson says there was a reunification point for staff members who exited the building, at the bottom of a nearby hill, off Crown Point Circle. Churchman says he never actually pointed the simulated weapon at anyone, and there was a simulated arrest in a conference room within 15-20 minutes. The Active Shooter Preparedness Exercise is in response to the increase in such events, including at schools, government agencies, and public venues, in recent years.