Simulation gives lawmakers, public glimpse at split-second police decisions
Published
The Fraternal Order of Police hosted lawmakers, media and members of the public for an educational session at the Columbus Police Academy, to provide a glimpse into the decisions that officers make on a daily basis.
As state Rep. Tim Schaffer stepped up to the video screen, he learned that he would be encountering an active shooter at a school.
The screen showed victims lying on the floor, others screaming and still more running from audible gunfire.
Schaffer’s point of view changed as he turned a corner to see a shooter with a weapon trained on the back of a woman’s head. Schaffer fired multiple rounds, striking the shooter, and relaxed.
Only then did he realize the scenario wasn’t over. There were two more shooters coming at him — and from different directions.
Schaffer managed to hit all three shooters, but he also was shot. The scenario didn’t determine whether he survived.
Ten minutes later, Schaffer, a Lancaster Republican, said he could still feel the adrenaline coursing through his body.
“A thousand things were going through my head,” he said. “In a micro-second, you’re cycling through all these thoughts.”