DA, Police Shed Light on ‘Split Second' Decisions

DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James hopes his "Use of Force" training offered a sense of the kind of split second decisions law enforcement officers have to make when officers respond to 911 and service calls.

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The demonstration also allowed members of the faith-based community to ask the questions many people have after officer involved shootings. DeKalb County Police Academy instructors said officers taught to use a combination of good training and good judgment to de-escalate situations--especially when dealing with armed subjects.

The day-long seminar included a video training component that allowed participants to use their own judgment on when to shoot and when to use a stun gun.

Most said the training helped shed light on the difficult decisions law officers must make. They also reviewed police dash camera videos of real encounters from across the country when police and civilians sadly ended up in the line of fire.