Police began to harness social media a decade ago, most famously after the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013. The four-day manhunt ended with police tweeting:"CAPTURED!!! The hunt is over. The search is done. The terror is over. And justice has won. Suspect in custody."
At nearly 7 p.m., police in Allen said an officer had"neutralized the threat." That meant he was dead. But the often-used term can be confusing to the public, says Julie Parker, a former broadcast journalist and law enforcement public information officer who now advises government agencies on how to respond to critical incidents.
"You had a little more time to get information out five or six years ago. The expectation wasn't there that it would be immediate, and I think it is now," says Sarah Boyd, who is on the executive board of the association's group on public communication. They note that the flow of information can go both ways, generating tips from the public, who might have cell phone or Ring doorbell video that could help investigators.