GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) – A recent fatal shooting involving an ICE agent and a woman in Minneapolis has FOX Carolina Investigates examining local policies on how officers should handle confrontations with suspects in cars.
For officers in South Carolina, the training changed in 2017. State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel said the agency saw a big increase in shootings where officers considered a suspect’s car to be a weapon, prompting the training change to limit when officers could fire.
New training focuses on positioning and avoidance
Officers are now trained to position themselves so they can’t be hit by cars, according to the new protocols.
University of South Carolina Assistant Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice Ian Adams, who researches police policies and best practices, said not shooting at a vehicle is the standard nationwide. Officers should use distance and barriers to protect themselves instead, Adams said…