‘As bad as you can imagine – times ten’: These are the heroic cops who ran towards the Florida school shooting

Two police officers have spoken about the horrors they witnessed upon entering the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shortly after the shooting on February 14.

In an incident where 17 people were killed 14 more injured, a gunman opened fire on students and staff with an AR-15 assault rifle.

Reports later emerged that deputies from the Colorado Springs Police Department, who were on patrol at the school, failed to intervene while the massacre was happening.

But those allegations are far from the actions Chris Crawford took on the day. He had already treated two students with injuries before paramedics arrived at the scene.

Crawford, an ex-Marine, then dashed into the school where he found students who had sealed themselves into a classroom.

In order to get them out and convince them the coast was clear, Crawford had to slide his badge under the door and negotiate. The New York Post quotes him as saying:

I had to negotiate [with them]. I don’t blame them.

[It] was as bad as you can imagine - times 10.

I have a 2-year-old. I don't want to send him to school.

Meanwhile, off-duty sergeant Jeff Heinrich was concerned for his wife and son who work at and attend the school.

Heinrich, who was watering the school's baseball field at the time, grabbed a spare vest and gun when he heard the gunfire.

Upon arriving at the scene,he immediately began to care for a wounded child before backup arrived.

His wife and son made it out of the school unscathed, but the event left a lasting impact on the officer. ABC 13 quotes him saying:

By the grace of God, my wife and my son at opposite ends of the school - my son was out on a bathroom pass and my wife was in planning inside the girl's locker room - they both heard the fire alarm and decided to evacuate.

He also reportedly added the entire incident was "surreal" and that "You never hope it would happen and it did."

An emotional and visibly distraught Heinrich left the stage in tears before being consoled by his fellow officers.

Two of the victims of the shooting Aaron Feis and Chris Hixon both worked closely with Heinrich's wife and son.

Both Crawford and Heinrich were recounting their heroics at a local press conference on Friday.

HT New York Post

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