St. Louis Police Academy offering ‘fun’ seminar for dealing with media in officer-related shootings

The St. Louis County and Municipal Police Academy, is offering a “fun” and “entertaining” seminar on dealing with the media as part of their continuing education program for law enforcement officers.

Following in the wake of shooting death of teen Michael Brown and the heavily criticized response by militarized police to protestors involving teargas, officers arresting members of the media, and inflammatory comments made by officers to reporters and protestors alike, the academy is offering the 8-hour voluntary seminar at their headquarters for “top-level decision-makers, command staff, and supervisors.”

The downloadable application (.pdf) to attend the seminar on Oct. 24, promises “OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING — YOU CAN WIN WITH THE MEDIA,” with an overview of do’s and don’ts including, “Meet the 900-Pound Gorilla” and “Feeding the Animals.”

The application begins by stating, “The shooting death of a black teenager by a white police officer on August 9th in Ferguson, Missouri and the events that followed were tragic. In addition to the Ferguson case study, this fast-paced class is jam-packed with the essential strategies and tactics, skills and techniques that will help you WIN WITH THE MEDIA!”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/09/st-louis-police-academy-offering-fun-seminar-for-dealing-with-media-in-officer-related-shootings/