Voices echoed loudly, music blared from a truck radio and, suddenly, the sound of gunfire pierced the night air Tuesday as a crowd gathered in the Bulloch County Jail parking lot.Bodies lay on the cold pavement, but several deputies, investigators and other people just stood there, talking and laughing as the “use of force” training exercises unfolded.The “live action” scenarios where volunteers pretended to be responding law enforcement officers and real-life lawmen acted out the roles of drunken partiers and volatile gunmen was part of a training exercise that was meant to reinforce deputies’ mandatory use-of-force training. The exercises also offered the public a realistic view of what law enforcement officers face on a daily basis, said Bulloch County Chief Deputy Jared Akins.Sheriff’s Capt. Todd Mashburn led the course, which began with a discussion about use of force and viewing several videos of police stops in which gunfire was involved or that showed dangerous situations encountered by law enforcement agents.FirearmsOne of the first questions Mashburn asked was, “What percentage of calls answered by deputies involve a firearm?” After several guesses, with no one stating the correct answer, he said “100 percent.”
Bulloch deputies hold public use of force training
Designed to show civilians what officers face every day