ORLANDO, Fla. — Every day, officers patrol the streets to keep the community safe and serve the public.
On Friday, the Orlando Police Department invited Channel 9 to get an up-close look at how intense and split-second their decision-making must be.
In the event hosted by Chief Eric Smith, officers demonstrated how to use various tools, including batons, tasers and pepper spray. Then, onlookers got to try them out for themselves.
It aimed to showcase how officers are trained to handle emergencies, including active shooter scenarios, de-escalation techniques and use of force.
One domestic violence simulation presented a difficult decision on how to handle a man threatening multiple people with a bat.
As an example, the supervising officer reviewed an attendee’s decision to use deadly force after a stun gun failed twice. The officer said he understood the decision “because you just saved someone who was going to die,” but said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement would investigate such a use of deadly force by an officer.
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