A sheriff also handles such civil activities as serving summons, subpenas and writs, conducting judgment sales, and fulfilling various functions ordered by the courts.
The position of sheriff has been criticized as lacking training standards, being overly political, not being coordinated with other jurisdictions, and being hampered by its lack of authority beyond the county line except when in "hot pursuit" of a suspect who crosses the county line.
The sheriff's uniformed police are called "deputy sheriffs," with the number two person often entitled "under sheriff." (See: bailiff, sheriff's sale)
Meanwhile, a police deputy sheriff arrived at the scene and began shooting at Harris and Klebold, distracting them from the injured Brian Anderson.
the sheriff made an initial estimate of 25 dead students and teachers; his estimate was 10 over the true count but closer to the total count of wounded students.
The sheriff then decided to mark the entire school as a crime scene; 13 of the dead, including the shooters, were still inside the school at the time.