Violence of Action

On the morning of March 27, 2023, by 1013 hours, we had all started our day like any other.??A regular Monday morning to begin the week ahead.??A shower, some breakfast, a kiss good-by to our loved ones. The same can be said for Officers Rex Englebert and Michael Collazo and other members of the Metro-Nashville Police Department.??But unlike the corporate grind, Police Work is not “groundhog day” and every shift is different.??

On this day, for this team, every police officer’s worst nightmare came true.??“Metro-Nashville all units respond, active-shooter, multiple victims down.”??Englebert and Collazo were two of the initial officers to respond and arrive on location of The Covenant School, a Catholic School in Metro Nashville, TN. They staged their cars, grabbed their patrol rifles, formed up and entered the school with the single objective of target acquisition and the elimination of the active threat.

Upon the release of the body worn cameras (BWC) of the involved officers, I must have watched the video 100 times.??“The speed, strength, surprise and aggression” that these men operated with is literally the definition of Violence of Action as coined by the Navy SEALs.??This team of heroes checked every box of the active shooter training course from diamond formations to room clearing, a hallway boss to rear guard, muzzle discipline to foot work and ultimately charging their way to the sound of the gunfire, even at the risk of their own peril.??They were locked in and did everything right.

The precision which these officers operated with is a testament to their training and dedication to the art of policing in the 21st?century.??These officers are not part of a SWAT team or “specially trained elites,” these are beat cops who work for an agency that has invested in its people.??Thank you Chief John Drake for immediately releasing this video, America needs to see this right now. The media should be playing it on repeat, but I fear they won’t, as it is not consistent with a preferred narrative of “defund and defame” the police.??Additionally, the now deceased perpetrator is part of a protected social class with a litany of documented mental health disorders.

The last few years of catchy slogans has driven political policy that unfortunately has decimated law enforcement in this country.??We have fewer cops on the street, less detectives to follow up with cases, and leadership positions filled with folks that are anything but leaders. We have defunded the police to the point that training like these officers had will no longer be provided.??We have defamed the police to the point where officers like these are leaving the job for more supported opportunities in other professional fields.??We have lowered standards just to fill seats or satisfy optics to the point where the community has lost trust and faith in those who are supposed to protect them. In a moment for crisis, when evil is at?your?doorstep, who do you want there for?you? The officer who got the job because of the lowered standards and is a load on the department or the one who competed to be first in their class and has had the opportunity to take advantage of continued training funded by their agency?

Officers Englebert and Collazo not only represent the best of MNPD, they represent 99.9% of the cops across the Nation who train for this moment everyday: Academically, Physically, and Emotionally.??Anyone can hand out ice cream coupons to kids, make dancing social media videos, or host coffee with a cop.??However, it takes the best among us to commit to Violence of Action in a moment’s notice while the rest of us are situationally unaware and having coffee with colleagues.?

Metro Nashville Police, and Officers Englebert and Collazo, you have lived up to my personal credo and I salute you:??“Lead by example, stay resilient and earn your badge ever day.”

David Berez is a retired Police Officer and Drug Recognition Expert, having served more than 20 years with the East Windsor Police Department and a total of 30 years in Emergency Services, including EMS and OEM. Following his retirement, Mr. Berez is now the President and Founder of Six4 Consultants, a Public Safety Consulting Firm. Mr. Berez is also a featured columnist, guest speaker and panelist on a variety of Public Safety discussions. In September of 2020, Mr. Berez was trained as a Resiliency Program Officer and Master Master Resiliency Trainer. He is a facilitator for "Resilient Minds on the Front Lines," "The Power of our Story," and is working to grow Resiliency for Law Enforcement Retirees in NJ with the State's Resilience Program. In 2022, Mr. Berez was named to the Law Enforcement Advisory Counsel for?Citizens Behind the Badge.