5 Scenarios to Cover During Judgmental Use of Force Training

1. 5 Scenarios to Cover During Judgmental Use of Force Training Judgmental use of force training is critical to public safety as it helps officers and soldiers learn to use force appropriately in tough and stressful situations. Below are five of the most important scenarios for trainers to cover during judgmental use of force training for both police officers and the military. #1 – Active/Suicidal Shooter Typically, this scenario involves an upset student in a school or an upset individual in a business such as a movie theater or shopping center. In some cases, the individual may be opening fire, and in others, he or she may have yet to fire, but threatens to fire on others as well as himself or herself. This can be an incredibly difficult situation for officers and/or military personnel to handle, and simulations provide officers and soldiers with an opportunity to learn how to deescalate without the use of force. #2 – Ambush Though more common in the military than in the police line of duty, it can and does happen from time to time. This may involve a single individual or a group of individuals under cover waiting for a patrol to pass by. In these situations, officers and servicemembers must act very quickly to protect their own lives, determine the precise location of the attacker, and resolve the threat without putting their own lives or civilians’ lives in danger. #3 – Terrorism Attacks Terrorism attacks can range from numerous gunmen opening fire to an attack with deadly gas or even a bomb. In these cases, the officers or servicemembers must first identify and locate the threat, then find a way to incapacitate the perpetrator(s) without putting lives at risk. Simulations can be programmed with a wide variety of variables that can help officers and military members learn the best courses of action based on the real life factors. #4 – Emotionally/Mentally Ill Person All too often, individuals who are considered armed and dangerous are actually mentally ill and may not be fully aware of their actions. In these cases, officers must use a different set of de-escalation techniques designed to reduce the risk of violence and take the person into custody without incident or injury. Though this cannot always be the case, it should always be the officers’ or soldiers’ intent, and frequent judgmental use of force training simulations can assist in learning the distinction between the two. #5 – Multi-Incident Scenarios Many of today’s judgmental use of force simulators tend to focus on a single event, but in the real world – whether out in the field as a police officer or in the line of duty as a soldier – scenarios rarely end after a single event. They are typically spread out over several events, one right after the other, that can truly test an officer’s ability to respond and react appropriately. Simulations can help officers predict how one event may lead into another and how the outcomes of one event may change based on the outcome of the one before it. Judgmental use of force training simulations are incredibly beneficial for training officers and military personnel to deal with active shooters, terrorist attacks, and even multi-incident scenarios. In fact, the more regularly they receive this training, the better decisions they will make out in the field where it counts.