Discretionary Use of Deadly Force: Training Issues From Proceedings of the One Hundred and Seventeenth Annual Congress of Corrections of the American Correctional Association, P 51-54, 1988, Elizabeth Watts, ed. -- See NCJ-112487

• NCJ Number: 112491
• Author(s): C Nowell
• Date Published: 1988
• Length: 4 pages
• Sale Source: American Correctional Association
• Publication Type: Conference Material
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Corrections officers should receive firearms training that goes beyond accuracy in shooting and includes discretionary decisionmaking, so that they can defend the use of deadly force and increase their chances of survival.

Abstract

A realistic training program in the use of deadly force focus on nine basic elements of discretionary shooting: threat recognition; reaction to the threat; use of clear, concise verbal commands; practice in confronting hostile subjects and environments; use to cover and concealment; counting rounds fired by the officer and the suspect to determine weapon status; mental conditioning; accuracy in hitting the target; and the ability to justify legally the use of deadly force. While expensive and time consuming, simulated exercises using laser equipment are realistic, as are interactive video exercises such as the Firearms Training System (FATS).