Split second decisions: Middletown police go through shoot/don't shoot scenarios скачать в хорошем качестве

Split second decisions: Middletown police go through shoot/don't shoot scenarios

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio (WKRC) - They often have to make split second decisions that could mean the difference between life and death. 75 Middletown Police officers are going through intense training over the next eight weeks to keep the community and police safer. In one scenario officers are being trained for an active shooter situation. A Middletown officer checks on a school resource officer with students inside of the building. A gunman shoots one officer and runs back into the school. It's just training, but police need to treat the training as they would handle an actual active shooter. The training also involves different traffic stop situations. Chief Rodney Muterspaw says this helps officers decide when to shoot and when to use other tools like Tasers. They're making a distinction between a person who's non-compliant and a suspect who's resisting. "Non-compliant just means they're not fighting you they're not actively resisting; they're just not listening to your commands. They might have their hands up. They might be walking around the car. So, we want to use less than lethal weapons on something like that," Muterspaw said. There's also a heavy emphasis on officer safety. Sergeant David Birk said, "It's just the current climate right now. I mean every day you look at the news, I think today we had two Iowa officers that were shot and killed. So, we just want the officers to be prepared for the unexpected." The Chief says the hours in and out of the classroom are worth it to protect officers and the public. "I want them to know that they're safe here. We try to do things right. We don't always do things right because we're human, but what we see around the country is this disconnect and this training helps us to bridge that," Muterspaw said. Officers train every Wednesday. The department is planning more training in the Spring.