‘Situational awareness’ key when police consider whether to shoot

The call came in just after 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 1.

A man with a shotgun. Schenectady police rushed to Bridge Street, where they found a 31-year-old man walking down the street racking a shotgun and pointing it at officers, according to court documents.

“He was yelling at police to shoot him,” Schenectady Police Sgt. Matt Dearing said.

Officers yelled at him to put down the gun, but at first he didn’t comply. There have been at least nine police involved shootings in the Capital Region since April 2016, including two in Schenectady, but at this particular call, no shots were fired.

“The officers showed great restraint,” Dearing said.

After appeals by police, the man put the gun down. He was charged with menacing a police officer and first-degree reckless endangerment, both felonies, police said.

Dearing said the incident was a success as it ended with one of the best possible outcomes — no one injured.

But why was this case different? Why didn’t police use their weapons? Why do police fire their weapon in other situations? When and how do police decide to use their weapons?

According to Dearing, who teaches a one-week “street survival” class at the Zone 5

Law Enforcement Academy in Schenectady, where many officers in the Capital Region receive training, various factors, including the discretion of the officers involved, come into play when police pull the trigger.

“It’s a split-second decision by that officer,” Dearing said.

And while ultimately it’s up to the officer when they reach for their gun, Dearing works to make sure the officer is equipped with the knowledge needed to make the best decisions, not only to protect themselves but others, including the suspect.

In his class, which is for recruits at the police academy, Dearing teaches officers about everything from interviewing witnesses, to where to position themselves when responding to calls, to clearing out a house during a raid and dealing with active shooters.

“Situational awareness is big,” Dearing said. “We look at past history of the place where the call is coming from. History of that person. What the dispatcher is told. There are so many moving parts, and we try to be as prepared as we can when we go (to a situation).”

But, Dearing said, he and officers know things can change in an instant.

“One thing I think we stress is that you, as an officer, are constantly responding to something that is unknown,” Dearing said. “We stress that you need to be on alert and be aware of your surroundings and to take it all in.”

Unfortunately there are times when officers are forced to draw their weapon.

“This is a career path that every day puts you at risk of not going home,” Dearing said. “Every day, every call that you go on can turn into one where you have to draw your gun. But the fact is, the community’s safety, people’s safety and officers’ safety is paramount.”

Dearing wants the community to know that following a policeinvolved shooting, people should be patient.

“We are asking for the community’s patience and understanding, obviously the officer at the time felt there was a reason to draw their weapon or use,” Dearing said. “This is not a TV show, where everything gets wrapped up in an hour. The full story will come out, but try not to pass judgment right away.”