Douglas County residents walked a day in law enforcement’s shoes, marking the culmination of a month-long community academy.
DCSO deputies trained the public on Saturday, taking them through “shoot/don’t shoot” simulations.
“Trigger finger is right here until we’re ready to shoot. We don’t do this, we don’t do this. We full-extend out as we aim, pull the trigger,” said DCSO Deputy Ryan Falkner, while demonstrating how to hold a gun.
“The simulator really shows them the split millisecond law enforcement has to react to life-threatening situations,” Falkner said. “Many of our residents come out with an eye-opening experience; many of them say, ‘wow, I wasn’t expecting this.'”
“I think the computer simulation was the most challenging. You don’t know what to expect. A potential bad guy coming upon you comes upon you so fast, you know, I’m not prepared for that,” said community academy participant Martin Claus.