EXCLUSIVE: ECSO CHIEF SIMMONS DETAILS THE ATTACK ON NAS PENSACOLA AND LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE

Simmons says six Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies are on administrative leave due to having fired shots during their response to the attack on NAS Pensacola on 12/06/19. One of those was also one of the injured deputies. Simmons also highly praises the response of the Department of Defense security forces, two of whom were first on the scene. According to Simmons, those two engaged the suspect, who returned fire, wounding one of them, at which point they had to fall back. During this time, numerous ECSO deputies arrived on scene and began engaging the suspect throughout the building over the course of the next few minutes. Simmons also praised the efforts of 911 dispatchers who coordinated a response to the Base, where building numbers and layout are not necessarily familiar to deputies. Simmons also praised the effort of his deputies after the attack was over for their lifesaving medical care to the wounded.