Texas Passes Mandatory 24-Hour Waiting Period Before Police Can Engage Active Shooters

AUSTIN, TX—In an effort to address rising gun violence in the state, Texas legislators passed a new law Friday mandating that police wait 24 hours before engaging with active shooters. “Deciding whether or not to respond to an active shooting is an extremely serious decision for any police officer to make, and we want to ensure that all Texas law enforcement officers have ample time to think it through,” said Gov. Greg Abbott, who added that the 24-hour waiting period, which would begin the moment dispatchers received their first 911 call, would help police be “100% certain” that protecting the public was prudent. “Before rushing into a school or church to stop a massacre, police will be required to wait a full 24 hours, never acting a minute sooner. They’ll also be subject to mandatory counseling with their peers in the parking lot so they can fully recognize the risks involved with attempting to save lives. We wouldn’t want them to do something in the heat of the moment that they’d regret, like taking out the shooter.” At press time, Abbott added that each additional 911 call authorities received would restart the waiting period.