Paducah police to hold tactical training exercise at mall | Events

PADUCAH, KY (KFVS) - The Kentucky Oaks Mall and Paducah Police Department will be holding a tactical training exercise at the mall on Sunday, November 18.

Police say the exercise is scheduled to begin shortly after the mall closes at 6 p.m. and should end around 9 p.m. During the training, officers from the Paducah Police Department will walk through a scenario involving gunmen shooting inside the mall, similar to the incident at the movie theater in Aurora, Color. last summer. They say considering other incidents over the past decade at malls and shopping centers, our local law enforcement wants to take no chances and be prepared.

According to Chief James Berry, "While these situations are rare, we want to be prepared. Our training is important, and we are glad to be able to work with the Kentucky Oaks Mall staff on this issue."

Kentucky Oaks Mall Property Manager Allen Wilson agreed.

"We're very pleased to be able to offer the mall for this type of training," Wilson said. "We want to do everything we can to create a safer environment for our customers and merchants."

He added that while the interior mall will be closed during the exercise, the Cinemark Theater will remain open on its usual Sunday evening schedule.

The training is expected to take about three hours and will involve several volunteers, members of Kentucky Oaks Mall security and staff, as well as patrol officers, SWAT team, bomb technicians and crisis negotiations from the Paducah Police Department.

Police say anyone in the area between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Sunday should be alert to the training.

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