ROANOKE, Va. – The use of deadly force by police is a topic of national debate, and that's why a group of former law enforcement officers is educating people across Virginia about how police officers are trained.
The Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund invited community leaders to experience its use of force simulator on Tuesday. The simulator is similar to what actual police officers use in training., and 10 News crews got to experience it firsthand.
"There may be a tragic outcome. It may be a lawful, but awful, outcome. And so, what we're trying to do is put the public in those shoes just for a few moments and explain that very challenging dynamic of policing in 2018," LELDF President Ron Hosko said.
By law, police officers are allowed to use deadly force when they have a reasonable belief that a suspect poses an imminent danger of killing an officer or someone else.
Of 40 million police interactions in 2016, 0.003% resulted in an officer choosing to use deadly force.