Beaufort County deputies react to high-pressure scenarios in new firearms simulator

Master Sgt. Mike Jennings of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office walks around the side of a house during a domestic violence call.

A man yelling at a woman behind the home threatens to shoot her. He has a gun and raises it.

Jennings shouts at the man to drop the gun.

Instead, the man raises the gun toward the officer.

Jennings shoots him several times, taking him down and freeing the woman.

Fortunately, the scenario was played out on a screen instead of the streets as part of the Sheriff’s Office’s new firearms training simulator.

“You just never know what you’re going to be confronted with,” Sheriff P.J. Tanner said Tuesday during a demonstration of the simulator.

The Meggitt Training System was purchased for approximately $80,000 by the Sheriff’s Office in July of 2015. It places deputies in realistic situations that may involve simulated gun fire. The system comes with two modified handguns, an assault rifle, pepper spray and Taser.

“This video system takes scenarios filmed by law enforcement agencies across the country,” Lt. Will Angelo said.

As deputies undergo the training, they are accessed by one of the department’s five instructors trained to run the simulation. Participants are judged on their verbal commands, aim and judgment during high-pressure situations.

Depending on how the deputy reacts, each scenario can be changed while it is happening. If an officer shouts the correct verbal commands, a suspect may back down. If the officer fails to control the situation, the instructor can escalate the confrontation.

“They (deputies) love it,” Angelo said. “You can go into a situation and change it with no heads up of how the scenario is going to end.”

The program comes with over 400 scenarios including traffic stops, domestic violence calls, active shooter scenes and bar fights. The department can also film their own scenarios in county government buildings and schools so deputies are familiar with the locations and program the training for day or night incidents.

The advantage of having the simulator, Tanner said, is that deputies can be taken off patrol for an hour and the department does not have to pay them overtime to schedule training at a shooting range. Other county law enforcement agencies will eventually be invited for training, he said.

“It helps us identify those officers who may not be able to handle those scenarios,” Tanner said. “You’re only as good as your training.”

This story was originally published March 8, 2016 at 2:49 PM with the headline "Beaufort County deputies react to high-pressure scenarios in new firearms simulator."