‘Deadly Force’ Exercise Gives Newark Residents A Taste Of Police Work

NEWARK, NJ — The following article comes courtesy of the Newark Department of Public Safety. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

Carmen Irizarry got a glimpse of the split-second decision Newark police officers face when using deadly force.

She didn't like it, either. On a large screen, the simulated scenario that played out Tuesday night was frightening to Irizarry. There was a man in a parking lot with a gun, and he grabbed a woman as his hostage when police officers approached him

Irizarry was one of the officers pointing a wireless laser handgun that is used in this exercise with the department’s Firearms Training System. She was talking to the man in the video, trying to convince him to drop his weapon and release the hostage. He was about to comply, but Irizarry didn’t give him a chance to surrender.

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“I shot him,’’ Irizarry said. “I didn't think he was surrendering. It’s not easy making the decision to shoot them or not, especially if they have a hostage. You have to be well trained to know when to shoot.’’

This session is always a sobering experience for Newark residents who sign up for Newark’s Public Safety Academy. The eight-week course, hosted by the Newark Department of Public Safety, gives residents an up-close view of how the police and fire division function.

It doesn’t get any closer than life or death as Rafael Padilla learned. Padilla served 25 years in the Army National Guard but was nervous during his turn in the simulation room.

“I didn’t know whether to use deadly force,’’ he said.

He didn’t, but his indecision during a traffic stop still made him uneasy as an irate motorist walked toward his police car with a knife.

Patricia Brown said she has a greater appreciation for officers and a better understanding of how deadly force should be used. A suspect, who stabbed one of three student hostages at a high school, got away after she shot him in the leg.

“I always felt like in that situation, why don’t they (police) shoot them in the leg instead of using deadly force? But he kept going. I see how important it is to have proper training. So many people’s lives are at stake.’’

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