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Former Sheriff Provides Perspective Into Difficult Rescue Of Officer O'Sullivan

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Officer Tara O'Sullivan waited more than 45 agonizing minutes to be rescued from a hail of gunfire coming from the home on Redwood Avenue Wednesday evening.

CBS13's Rachel Wulff spoke with former Sacramento Sheriff John McGinness to get perspective on the situation officers were in while figuring out how to safely rescue O'Sullivan during the active shooter situation.

McGinness was clear when speaking with CBS13. He was not there Wednesday making decisions, but after years of managing these types of situations, there is one rule: There are no rules.

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Minutes mattered after Sacramento Police Officer Tara O'Sullivan was gunned down outside a North Sacramento home. But department leaders say her fellow officers couldn't get in to rescue her safely.

So, they watched and waited, using an armored vehicle as cover, but sadly it was too late. Officer O'Sullivan died from her injuries at the UC Davis Medical Center.

Swipe through pictures of fallen officer Tara O'Sullivan

Tara O'Sullivan high school senior yearbook photo.
According to the Pleasant Hill Police Officers' Association, O'Sullivan was a 2011 graduate of College Park High School and was a police explorer with the Pleasant Hill and Martinez police departments. (credit College Park High School)
Tara O'Sullivan
(credit College Park High School)
Tara O'Sullivan
Tara played soccer in high school. (credit College Park High School)
Ofc. Tara O'Sullivan
Twenty-six-year-old Officer Tara O'Sullivan was shot and killed in the line of duty while helping a woman remove her belongings from inside a home on Redwood Avenue, near El Camino Avenue.
officer osullivan

"To impune the officers and leaders for decisions misplaced criticism," McGinness said.

McGinness said law enforcement trains for these types of situations.

"All training is based on someplace, somehow. Some time something went wrong," McGinness said.

He said there is no "one size fits all" for standoff situations because circumstances, geography, logistics are different. To question the tactical decision to wait to rescue O'Sullivan is pointless, McGinness said.

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"What have you accomplished if people go in, effectively, to a suicide mission to do something that is incredibly noble?" McGinness said.

He said rescuing a downed officer or person in the line of fire requires patience, wisdom and a plan. The suspect's high-powered rifle, amount of ammunition and number of community members close by, made it a challenge too dangerous for officers, even with body armor and armored vehicles.

"If you look at it in the totality of the circumstances, one casualty out of the potential that could have taken. Lance here is rather impressive -but still too much," McGinniss said.

Flags were flown at half staff Thursday at Sacramento State and around the area in O'Sullivan's honor.

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