Laser Shot Gives Public a Look at Decisions Officers Face

It’s something no police officer wants to do in the line of duty, but it can become part of the job in less than one second.

Police officers can find themselves facing a matter of life or death in a fraction of a second. Quincy Police recently gave the public a look at their Laser Shot firearms training simulator as part of a fund raiser by the Quincy Citizen’s Police Academy Alumni Association.

“It’s probably more decision making than marksmanship. Obviously it’s a simulator so it’s not exactly like shooting a live firearm” says Patrol Sergeant Brian Dusch of the Quincy Police Department.

Dusch says the simulator covers “situations that they could be in where they’re going to have to make decisions based on what they see, what they hear, what they feel, what they know and they’re going to have to make a decision in less than a second on whether they use deadly force or not.”

As some local and regional stories in the last year confirm, the officer’s decision will be looked at very intently afterwards.