Communication error at Ohio State Newark creates confusion during police training, fake guns drawn

Paige Cirtwill
Fri, 07 May 2021 19:00:22 +0000
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A lack of universitywide notice of police training class created confusion at Ohio State Newark Thursday. Credit: Lantern File Photo

Ohio State Newark failed to notify the campus of a scheduled police training, creating confusion when fake guns were pointed in the direction of a student and research staff member Thursday.

No universitywide advanced notice of the training was sent, so the two individuals at the campus building Adena Hall were unaware of the Central Ohio Technical College police academy training class, according to the Newark Advocate. The incident prompted confusion and the involved student notified Ohio State Newark Dean/Director Bill MacDonald.

The Newark campus partners with the COTC, according to the campus website. COTC runs the police academy and was using the hall, a recreation facility open to the public, to practice maneuvering through buildings.

Typically, instructors notify the campus safety and security office of upcoming training in advance. The office would then relay the information to the campus community.?

Jeff Sowards, assistant professor of law enforcement at COTC, confirmed campus safety was informed the exercise would be taking place.?

COTC President John Berry said there were signs posted about the training, but the campus safety and security office did not broadly share the information to the entire campus, the Newark Advocate reported.?

Final exams for the spring semester were April 26-30 and COTC exams were April 29 through Wednesday, according to the university’s Newark website and the COTC’s academic calendar.?

Ohio State Newark and COTC could not be reached for comment at the time of publication.??