Law Enforcement Training Protected Public From Tulsa Courthouse Gunman

No one can predict when a gunman will open fire in the crowded plaza at the Tulsa County Courthouse, but it is a scenario officers train for, over and over.

And the word from Tulsa County: That training paid off.

Inside a courthouse that makes a lot of headlines – the shooting that occurred on March 7, 2012, is hard to forget, especially for the nearly 1,000 people who walk through the doors on an average day.

"We have door guards that screen everyone who's coming through the door," Tulsa County spokesperson Michael Willis said. "People have to go through metal detectors."

X-ray technology, wands, pat-downs -- they're all part of the assembly line of security at the courthouse to make sure no one brings a weapon past the front door.

It's supervised by Sheriff's deputies under the watchful eyes of cameras placed all over the building.

"There's quite a large public safety presence here," Willis said. "The sheriff's office headquarters are here, so we're normally only steps away from the plaza."

Tulsa County spokesperson Michael Willis says that's crucial when deputies have mere seconds to handle a crisis, like when 23-year-old Andrew Dennehy fired his gun into the air just yards outside the courthouse door.

"What went really well yesterday? Almost everything did. We couldn't ask for a better outcome," Willis said.

Deputies heard the shots and sprung into action -- confronting Dennehy on the plaza.

Investigators say when he pointed the pistol at them, the deputies fired back.

Willis said officers from other police agencies happened to be at the courthouse to testify and when they heard the shots, the officers ran downstairs and started working the scene.

"It was a textbook example of professionals who know what they're supposed to do, going out and protecting public safety," Willis said.

The high-tech security system can't stop everyone, but Willis says the discipline deputies show every day is proof: When the worst happened, the system worked.