Could you pull the trigger?

This video depicts a reporter who was invited to train with Coral Springs Police Department in Florida. The event was a series of staged force on force encounters, in order to give her insight into the difficult choices LEOs are routinely called upon to make. Throughout the scenarios, she learned several valuable lessons, including the fear LEOs have to face when they conduct stops. When the subject is not compliant or actively resisting, it adds an entirely new level of difficulty to the encounter, often forcing LEOs to make split seconds choices.

The final scenario involves a father and daughter who are stopped for some traffic violation. Two officers are present. While one officer speaks to the father outside the vehicle, the young daughter steps out holding a long gun. The second officer (the reporter, standing near their unit) then sees the little girl shoot the first officer, and is presented with an unimaginable choice.

All scenarios are entirely hypothetical, and were created specifically to showcase the range of emotional responses LEOs have even during so-called "routine" stops.

Of course this doesn't justify illegal activity by LEOs, in any situation. Nor does it excuse abusive behavior. It does, however, provide some insight into the frightening and fast paced environment they work in.



Do you think you'd react like this reporter in a similar scenario? I should remind you that she is fully aware these are fictional scenarios yet still has instinctual responses to the events. Just some food for thought

Nope, don't want to be in that situation.

a reply to: JBurns

Cops are screwed.

The weaponized media has made the very small percentage of bad stops the police have seem like it is a common occurrence. Imagine the millions and millions of good stops, and then you have the bad ones caused by the idiot police officer or citizen---or both.

Dealing with the ass hat public and not having a shooting every day is a huge miracle in my book.


,

I can't imagine the dangers and difficult split second choices LEO's must make on a day to day basis. It seems like a thankless job , as so many are quick to dump abuse on them.

God bless the men and women who try and keep are streets and roads safe... it's got to be one tough and often seriously stressful job.

Could you pull the trigger?

Yes.
And I'd be getting paid for it too! Always thought it'd be fun to be a cop.

I wonder how many times this type of situation has actually arisen. Is it even remotely common for younger kids to break out of the car unexpectedly armed, actually pulling the trigger themselves then not being so scared that they drop the gun?

I doubt it. I really doubt it.

I think this is actually desensitizing the cops to make it easier to justify killing kids.

Unless there's numbers to back up this type of situation I think it's a horrible training scenario.

War is so much easier..... That I have done. All of it does not go without prayers before during and after.

The fact they train on little girls with real rifles means they're more conditioned to fire on kids with fake guns. Their training is the reason we have such a problem.

originally posted by: trollz

Could you pull the trigger?

Yes.
And I'd be getting paid for it too! Always thought it'd be fun to be a cop.

You and whoever starred your post are in dire need of a psych eval.

originally posted by: WhateverYouSay
The fact they train on little girls with real rifles means they're more conditioned to fire on kids with fake guns. Their training is the reason we have such a problem.

That has to be the most idiotic link I have seen recently on ATS

a reply to: Noncents

Thanks for saying that for me.

I remember the guy who was shot dead in a role-playing event, attempting to highlight to the public the split-second decisions that are part of that part of the job. They forgot the 'blank' bullets part, unfornately.

Outreach is needed, but could they make it more 'real' and have a black guy being pulled over, while his posse wields on an LEO and somebody is getting shot? Period. Nobody is believing a 12-year-old girl is getting the drop on an experienced LEO...but I say, yes, if it's her or me. Full stop.

originally posted by: Noncents
I wonder how many times this type of situation has actually arisen. Is it even remotely common for younger kids to break out of the car unexpectedly armed, actually pulling the trigger themselves then not being so scared that they drop the gun?

I doubt it. I really doubt it.

I think this is actually desensitizing the cops to make it easier to justify killing kids.

Unless there's numbers to back up this type of situation I think it's a horrible training scenario.

Two West Memphis cops were killed when a teenage son jumped out of a car they had pulled over while they were talking to his father and opened fire on them. It happens.

The point of training is to expose somebody to as many circumstances as they can be exposed to. The overwhelming majority of cops aren't ever going to shoot anybody, but people would # a brick if the mentality was "well you probably won't ever have to do this so we're not gonna train for it."

If a Cop is talking to you and you’ve got a gun, action always beats reaction....
I would say that we need to train the public.
A significant minority of Cops seem to suggest that the use of force is always justified when people resist arrest or disobey orders.
There life is on the line.

originally posted by: Shamrock6
Two West Memphis cops were killed when a teenage son jumped out of a car they had pulled over while they were talking to his father and opened fire on them.

Teenage, you say?

How teenage? 16? 17?

That girl's like, what? 11? 12?

Big difference between kids and teens when it comes to murder.

originally posted by: Shamrock6

originally posted by: Noncents
I wonder how many times this type of situation has actually arisen. Is it even remotely common for younger kids to break out of the car unexpectedly armed, actually pulling the trigger themselves then not being so scared that they drop the gun?

I doubt it. I really doubt it.

I think this is actually desensitizing the cops to make it easier to justify killing kids.

Unless there's numbers to back up this type of situation I think it's a horrible training scenario.

Two West Memphis cops were killed when a teenage son jumped out of a car they had pulled over while they were talking to his father and opened fire on them. It happens.

The point of training is to expose somebody to as many circumstances as they can be exposed to. The overwhelming majority of cops aren't ever going to shoot anybody, but people would # a brick if the mentality was "well you probably won't ever have to do this so we're not gonna train for it."

Stories like this are why some of us think you guys are nuts. Teenagers with weapons, not only that trained to use them and taught to hate cops . Unreal.

a reply to: Noncents

Just gonna ignore the rest of what I said, eh?

Figured.

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

originally posted by: Shamrock6

originally posted by: Noncents
I wonder how many times this type of situation has actually arisen. Is it even remotely common for younger kids to break out of the car unexpectedly armed, actually pulling the trigger themselves then not being so scared that they drop the gun?

I doubt it. I really doubt it.

I think this is actually desensitizing the cops to make it easier to justify killing kids.

Unless there's numbers to back up this type of situation I think it's a horrible training scenario.

Two West Memphis cops were killed when a teenage son jumped out of a car they had pulled over while they were talking to his father and opened fire on them. It happens.

The point of training is to expose somebody to as many circumstances as they can be exposed to. The overwhelming majority of cops aren't ever going to shoot anybody, but people would # a brick if the mentality was "well you probably won't ever have to do this so we're not gonna train for it."

Stories like this are why some of us think you guys are nuts. Teenagers with weapons, not only that trained to use them and taught to hate cops . Unreal.

He and his father were hardcore sovereign citizens. Far from your Average Joe American.

You're not a "good cop" if you stay silent about the bad cops.

Period. End of story.

a reply to: Shamrock6
Not at all. I'm not ignoring facts. I'm requesting more information.

How old was the teenager? Was he like 12 or like 17?

a reply to: JBurns

Wow! That is a powerful video.

I admit it choked me up and was quite emotional. Logically, yes, the girl fired on and shot one officer down and turned the same gun on the journalist...any human...me included would shoot her.

This was obviously not a toy gun scenario. The other officer was shot. The little girl did not drop the gun but turned it on you. Is it a likely scenario...don't be fooled and biased because one would think a 10 year old would not do such a thing. It is possible if she is emotionally charged and yes, a young girl who target practices and hunts with her parent can be an accurate shooter with an adrenaline rush!

Certainly, not a job nor decision, I would ever want.

Edit add: Realize a child who is emotionally charged may be even more unpredictable due to the fact that human's reasoning capabilities are not fully formed until near 26 years of age.