With training guns holstered and safety equipment in place, five Midlands journalists went through a segment of force-on-force training that mirrors the same manner in which our deputies train.
“The first scenario outside was paralyzing for a couple of seconds,” said Meghan Norman, a reporter at WIS-TV. “The person didn’t give me a chance to introduce myself, to say this is why I pulled you over, none of that.”
When an officer fires their service weapon, reporters request video of the incident to paint a better picture of what happened. The five local journalists said they learned the answers aren’t always so clear.
“While other people have hours and days and weeks to review body cam footage and dash cam footage, you have to make that decision right then, right there and go with your gut and you do what you think will get you home at night,” said Beth Rousseau, a reporter at WOLO-TV.
Using laser simulations and live action scenarios, the teams encountered situations our deputies have been in. There, they had to make split second decisions that they called eye-opening.
“I think we have a certain perspective when we’re the ones who have to observe and gather all of the facts after the fact,” said Joyce Koh, a reporter with WLTX-TV.
From unruly citizens to passerby trying to film them, they felt what it was like to wear a badge in today’s society.
“We rarely hear from officers after a shooting happens because of a whole host of reasons, but I just think this gave me the kind of perspective I needed to even more fairly report on these kinds of things,” Koh said.
Despite their different reactions, the journalists agreed you can’t fully judge another person’s response until you’ve put yourself in their shoes.
“I think a lot of people should take these things into consideration that it is a split second,” said Shelli Adamczyk, a reporter with WACH-TV. “You can say ‘I would have done this’ or ‘I would have done that’ but until you’re in that situation, you never know.”