Shoot to kill?

When a police cadet enters the controlled environment of a police academy, he or she knows full well that the training that will be instilled could be the sole determining factor of whether they will survive a deadly force encounter. Officer Steven Quakenbush of the Albuquerque Police Academy firing range states, “It is not if you will get in a deadly force situation but when you do”. Each week the cadet reports to the firing range for a structured and controlled environment depicting various deadly forces encounters. The scenario could very well become reality someday. An officer involved shooting branches out to influence the officer and department he or she works for. Police are aware that anytime they act in color of duty their actions are going to forever be scrutinized by some in the community that feel the force was used is “excessive”. Further repercussions of a police involved shooting include civil lawsuits and mental distress on the officer and ...