Metro officers to attend force training

Keith Paul

Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2000 | 11:06 a.m.

Sheriff Jerry Keller has ordered all Metro Police officers to attend four hours of training after three shootings this year violated the department's use-of-force policies.

"We hope that we'll improve our ability to safely take suspects into custody," Undersheriff Richard Winget said. "Our intent is to have fewer shootings."

The training classes were the result of a review of procedures ordered by the sheriff after the department's use-of-force board determined a detective violated Metro's guidelines on Aug. 19 when he fired two shots at a suspect in a moving car. It was the third such determination in recent months.

On Monday Keller received and approved the recommendation from a panel reviewing training procedure.

SWAT officers worked up tactics for the class for approaching cars and other scenarios to avoid leading to unnecessarily dangerous confrontations.

All of Metro's sworn police officers -- including detectives and supervisors -- will go through the training. Metro would not reveal specifics of what the officers will be taught.

"The officers will be asked to answer questions about situations, and it would be counterproductive to say what those situations are before the officers go through the training," said Lt. Marc Joseph, a Metro spokesman.

Joseph said the training will emphasize and be a refresher for tactics needed in car stops and other situations. The training of all the officers should take two to three months to complete.

Gary Peck, executive director of the local American Civil Liberties Union, praised the sheriff for ordering the additional training, but he said that training alone likely isn't enough.

"It is a step in the right direction, and they should be commended for that, but it is about more than just four additional hours of training in tactics and technique," Peck said. "It's about addressing the issues of police culture and professionalism and how they relate to the public."

Metro's use-of-force board -- composed of four citizens and three officers -- have ruled in recent months three shootings by officers violated department's guidelines.

Most recently the board ruled in August that Detective Don Evans was not within policy when he fired two shots at a suspect in a car. Evans told the board during his hearing, he saw the driver fumbling with something and that prompted him to shoot. The driver was not hit, and he crashed during a short car chase. A hypodermic needle and some drugs were found in the car, but no gun was found.

The board also has ruled that Officers Darren Hecker's shooting at a car on May 7 and Officer Nathan Chio's shooting into a pile of clothing while checking a car for suspect on April 19 were in violation of policy.

"We want to make sure officers make the right tactical decisions so they don't place themselves needlessly into situations that require the use of deadly force," Winget said.

Winget said the SWAT officers -- who often face extremely hostile situations -- most likely also have developed some improved tactics for officers to use.

Officers are authorized to use deadly force to "protect themselves and others from what is reasonably believed to be an immediate threat of death or serious bodily harm," according to Metro's policy manual.

But the policy also says that an officer is not authorized to fire at "moving vehicles, unless it is absolutely necessary to do so to protect against imminent threat of life" of the officer or others. The manual also says officers should attempt to get out of the way of the vehicles, if possible rather than shooting.

Keller said the training shouldn't be seen as punishment for the officers, but is intended to make sure they have tactical education they need to approach situations safely.

In the past Keller has ordered retraining for officers found in violation of department use-of-force guidelines in addition to some type of discipline.

So far this year there have been 13 hearings involving use of force by officers. Last year there were 10, and all were ruled within Metro guidelines by the use-of-force board.