Police train for deadly confrontations

GREEN BAY - Experts in police work say officer-involved shootings are rare, but something officers train for.

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College is one place they turn to.

"Its just all the stress going through you and you've gotta make the right decision cause you have that duty to protect," law enforcement student Aaron Slusarek said after completing a simulation.

Instructor Robert Willis with NWTC helps students like Slusarek learn the appropriate use of force.

He also debriefs police officers, who've been involved in fatal shootings.

"Deadly force is a two-edged sword, on one edge of the sword is taking a life," Willis said. "But the other edge is how many lives have I saved including my own?"

Willis says police are trained to assess the danger and determine if anything else can stop the threat.

But when lives are at risk, Wisconsin officers are told to shoot towards the face, throat and chest.

Tasers and other non-lethal means have helped reduce the incidents that require deadly force, but won't work in every case.

"Center mass of the central nervous system," Willis explained to his class. "It's the only shot that will immediately stop this life threatening threat."

But taking that shot isn't easy. Experts in police work say many officers who've used deadly force will leave the profession or need ongoing counseling. Some take their own life.

"The victim's not just the subject who got shot, the officer's victimized by the situation," Willis said.

He says 300 to 400 law enforcement officers commit suicide each year, some, not all related to the use of force.

Departments have responded, increasing training, counseling and speeding up legal reviews.

"That's the side that we need to focus on," Willis said. But, he says deadly force will always have a lasting impact.