Simulator training officers when to shoot

Good judgment, something a police officer is trained to have the second he or she begins their training.

An underground basement on the campus of Arizona Western college contains a simulator that has been helping better an officer’s judgment.

Used as a determinator of passing the academy, the firearm training simulator, or F.A.T.S., is the last step before a cadet can become an officer.

Corporal Anthony Brown is a trainer for the F.A.T.S. simulator.

“When you get on the street, you’ll understand that you try to de-escalate the situation before it gets to that shoot, no shoot part of the scenario,” Brown said.

Programmed into the simulator are life-like scenarios used to teach officers when to shoot and not to shoot.

These scenarios are used to prepare officers for situations similar to the recent incident that occurred in Tempe, Arizona.

An incident which tested the officer’s judgment whether to shoot 14-year-old Antonio Arce after the teen ran from officers holding what they later found to be an airsoft gun.

“That situation is a hard situation, because you don’t know exactly what the child had, I mean it’s a black gun, and you held our black gun for F.A.T.S. it’s a real gun but it’s not, it can’t shoot you but you assumed it was a real gun at first, so you never know what it is until you’re right there,” Brown said.

In recent body camera footage released, Officer Jaen used trash cans to hide behind after responding to a call of a report of a suspicious vehicle possibly used in a robbery.

“If the kid is given proper verbal commands and he’s not following commands, that’s where the training kicks in and you go to, ‘ok, it looks like a weapon, he’s not listening to verbal commands’, you have a checklist in your mind to say where is this going,” Brown said.

Officer Jaen, had to use his judgment, on whether Arce would end up using the weapon to hurt him.

“When that weapon turns and points towards you, you shoot,” Brown said.

Situations like this one are why officers such as Corporal Brown believe training like this is so crucial for officers to have.

“It’s a tragedy a child was shot, but it makes me want to say that if people would just listen to the officer’s verbal commands, and you find out it is not a weapon, now it’s a positive resolution,” Brown said.

The F.A.T.S. simulator includes life-like situations projected on a screen.

The training officer stands to face the screen with his or her weapon stowed until necessary.

As the scenario starts, the situation is able to change based on the officer’s verbal commands or attention to the course.

Also used as an obstacle, paintball-sized rubber balls can be remotely shot at an officer to create a more life-like situation.

After shooting at the suspect or talking the suspect down and choosing not to shoot, the officer is shown their results screen.

They then can see how many shots were taken if any and which were lethal hits.

Brown then asks the officer to describe what happened and to explain why they chose to shoot or not to shoot.

He says this allows officers to better understand their own judgment and decision making.

“The judgment that you learn here, and you’re tested here, is an immediate use when you’re out on the street, that’s what’s most important for officer nowadays is having proper judgment and being able to think quickly enough,” Brown said.