Experiencing The 'Realities Of Being A Police Officer' [NPR.org]

Samantha Sangenito 6/12/1512:00 PM

The office hallway could be in Anytown, America, with its gray walls, bad lighting and piles of photocopy paper. That is, except for this distinguishing feature: an unknown man, armed with a weapon, who popped into view.

"Do I want to shoot this guy?" I asked the law enforcement trainer beside me.

The reply came fast: "Well, he's got a gun."

My weapon: a Glock equipped with a laser, not live ammunition — and thank goodness for that.

Since the death of an unarmed black man in Ferguson, Mo. last year, police have been trying to justify how they use deadly force. The Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund, which raises money to defend police accused of misconduct, has responded to that challenge by inviting reporters and members of the public to undergo a simulation to learn how tough it is to be a cop.

[For more of this story, written by Carrie Johnson and Brakkton Booker, go to http://www.npr.org/sections/it...ing-a-police-officer]

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Robert OlcottMember

When I worked as an Aviation Public Safety (Police & Crash-Fire-Rescue) officer, our firearms instructor said 99 44/100 % of the situations we encounter can best be handled by using your head (Eyes, Ears, Mouth, & Brain) without even unstrapping your [pistol] holster, or even putting your hand on the holstered pistol. I thought back to the number of times I had either drawn my pistol, or had been authorized to carry and use the shotgun [I used only rifled slugs, not buckshot, on the airfield.], and had occasion to use it. Other than for practice and qualification, on the firing range, I only recall two incidents, and I didn't have to fire the weapon, on either occasion. I think the dialog between the law enforcement trainer, in this article, and the author, is an important one. I also think a recent related article, elsewhere, on "Procedural Justice" would complement the dialog between instructor and cop in this article.

6/13/152:56 AM

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