John Stone (sheriff)
John Stone | |
|---|---|
Portrait of John P. Stone | |
| Sheriff of Jefferson County, Colorado | |
| In office January 1999 – January 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Ronald Beckham |
| Succeeded by | Russ Cook |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John P. Stone July 7, 1949 Battle Creek, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | November 6, 2022 (aged 73) Eden Prairie, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Susan Gates (m. 2010) |
| Occupation | Politician, law enforcement |
| Known for | Sheriff of Jefferson County, Colorado, during the Columbine High School massacre |
| Part of a series of articles on the |
| Columbine High School massacre |
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Location: Perpetrators: Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold |
John P. Stone (July 7, 1949 – November 6, 2022) was an American politician and police officer who served as sheriff of Jefferson County, Colorado, between 1999 and 2003. He was the center of national and international attention soon after taking office when two students of Columbine High School perpetrated the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999.
Stone's handling of the Columbine crisis and police response drew strong criticism, mainly because officers did not enter the building to confront the shooters. Stone defended his officers' actions by saying that his officers simply followed their training. After Columbine, changes were implemented in the active shooter training for officers in the United States and the world.