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Hands-on training exercise offers unique perspective on police response

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Four M State Criminal Justice students pose with a police officer wearing a reflective yellow vest in a high school hallway with gray lockers in the background during an active shooter training in Moorhead.
Pictured here with Moorhead Police Officer and 2015 M State Criminal Justice graduate Cuyler Johnson, center, are current M State Criminal Justice students Mohammed Nori, Logan Ehlert, Mohammed Al Dulaimi and Newar Brifki at an active shooter training held at Moorhead High School in July.


M State Criminal Justice students recently served as role-players during active shooter training conducted by the Moorhead Police Department at Moorhead High School.

Held July 20-24, the training placed students in realistic scenarios where they portrayed victims, witnesses and other individuals involved in a simulated active shooter incident. The exercises gave law enforcement officers an opportunity to respond to evolving situations with limited information, closely mirroring the challenges they face in real emergencies.

According to M State Criminal Justice Program Coordinator Jeff Nelson, participating in the training provided students with a valuable learning experience while helping make the exercises more realistic for responding officers.

An additional highlight for M State was the involvement of Moorhead Police Officer Cuyler Johnson, a 2015 graduate of the college's Criminal Justice program, who helped lead the training.

“Our students gained valuable insight into law enforcement response procedures, and we appreciate the opportunity to partner with the Moorhead Police Department on this important training,” Nelson says.

The collaboration reflects M State's ongoing commitment to building strong partnerships with regional law enforcement agencies and providing students with hands-on experiences that complement classroom learning.