Residents of Lake Forest got an up-close look at police training in crisis situations Nov. 18 at the Citizen’s Police Academy.
A potentially suicidal man with a knife was the dispach call in a scenario role-played by officers at a special class on the use of force.
“Your heart rate absolutely rises,” explained Lake Forest Officer Andy Shiu to a group of nine participants in the basement training room of the Lake Forest Police Station.
Two officers entered the room wearing blue vests. They approached the subject of the call – portrayed by Officer Michael Hughes – one to each side. One officer asked how he was doing.
“My wife left me, I’m out of work and I’m going to lose my house,” said Hughes.
The officer then asked if he had a knife. Hughes replied he had one — in his pocket. The officer directed him not to put his hand in his pocket.
A conversation ensued. Eventually Hughes announced he wanted to leave. An officer told him they couldn’t let him do that. When Hughes started to walk away, the two officers grabbed Hughes and wrestled him to the ground.
“Verbals!” called out Officer Matthew Signa who teaches defensive tactics. When the two officers continued to wrestle Hughes without saying anything, Signa called out, “Talk!”
After a struggle, the officers handcuffed Hughes and pretended to call for an ambulance. Signa called a halt to the scenario and then everyone analyzed how it went.
The Officer Survival and Tacticssession is new to the Citizens Police Academy.
“I suggested something along those lines to give (residents) insight into what they are seeing in the media and talking about,” Signa said.
Among subjects covered were the physical effects of extreme stress on the human body, mental and physical conditioning and some tactics used by police.
“Use of force is an extremely hot button topic,” said Commander Michael Lange. “In the real world of police, force is used.”
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Over the course of the three-hour session it became apparent that policing is a tough profession, and not just physically. A handout, for example, listed several tips for officers developing a “survival state of mind.”
“Realize that every person is potentially dangerous” is one tip. “Become aware it may be necessary to take a life to save your own or someone else’s” is another. Other tips included becoming proficient in defensive tactics and realizing the legal, moral and psychological implications of using force on someone.
Attendees were shown a collection of videos caught by squad car cameras and officer body cameras. The black and white images were shocking to some in the audience. One showed an officer being shot by a man he stopped in a pick-up truck. Another video showed an officer firing into a car full of people.
The Lake Forest Police have a policy on how much force they can use, along a continuum.
“We’re always allowed to go one level up,” Signa said. “If [the subject has] a knife, we’re probably going to use a gun. If they want to go hand to hand, we can use pepper spray or a baton. It’s the amount of force necessary to apprehend the subject. Or to stop a subject if they have a gun.”
Making a decision to use force can be tricky, Signa told the group.
“The chaos is thrown in and out,” Signa said. “Is there a threat or no threat? You have to make a split-second decision.”
Most interactions between Lake Forest Police and others, however, don’t involve force, Signa said.
“If you go back as far as May [when fiscal year ends] I have had none,” said Signa. “Not even someone passively resisting. I haven’t had to chase someone on foot. I’ve never been in a vehicle pursuit in the seven years I’ve been in Lake Forest. [Force], it’s just a fraction of our job.”
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