What started as a normal evening ended in tragedy with several arrests following an 'explosion' at Butler city hall around 7 pm last night- all part of a training exercise involving the Butler police department, Butler fire department and a handful of crisis actors who played their roles to perfection
As the city council session was ready to begin, one member was still downstairs and met a horrible fate- at that moment, an unknown individual tossed a bomb in a window resulting in fatal injuries.
The photos below show how the rest of the scenario played out:
Council members and others in the building were moved to a safe location as the police investigation began
As police worked to identify the perpetrator, several variables came into play including some bystanders who did not abide their orders by not cooperating with the investigation- which resulted in an arrest seen below
In the meantime, firefighters gained entry to city hall to locate the 'victim' and check for other hazards
As the victim was brought outside, lifesaving measures began. Unfortunately, efforts were in vain as the person met their fate seen below
Meanwhile, police continued working to find the person responsible for the bombing; there were some intense moments
In short order, the primary suspect was taken into custody following an extensive foot chase
Once the suspect was in custody and the building cleared, first responders met with those present to help assure the situation was over and the area was declared safe.
This exercise was the brainchild of the Butler fire department spearheaded by Brenda Cecil, who said that the goal is to better prepare everyone in our ever-changing world where these types of situations play out, which could include a close knit community such as Butler.
She went on to say that the evening was "a success" in terms of efficiency and cooperation between the police and fire departments; mostly likely more such training sessions will be forthcoming.
And a hearty thank-you goes to everyone involved.
