Concerns About Police Involved Shootings Bring Community And Law Enforcement Together In South Jersey
By Cleve Bryan
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., (CBS) -- Nationwide outrage over police using lethal force sparked a seminar Wednesday for law enforcement and concerned citizens to learn more about officer involved shootings.
Dr. John Azar-Dickens, an expert in forensic psychology, presented research on the movements and split-second decisions that go into police confrontations.
"The science drives a lot of the decisions that the officers make and drives a lot of the tactics that the officers use," says Azar-Dickens.
He says there are a lot assumptions about what police should know, see and how they should respond in rapidly-evolving, high pressure situations.
For example if there is an exchange of fire between an officer and suspect there are times when it may be unavoidable for the officer to shoot the subject in the back.
"When a person shoots just before or while running from police, the officer's reaction to return fire is slower than the subject's movement to turn his or her back," explained Azar-Dickens with data from body movement studies to the audience of about 200 people.
"Understanding the Realities of Officer Involved Shootings" was the title of the full day event at the Atlantic City Convention Center and it was organized by the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office, Atlantic City Police, Pleasantville Police and the Coalition for a Safe Community.
People from various civil rights, faith-based and community organizations attended the seminar and had a chance to provide feedback.
"Law enforcement needs to hear from us how it feels when one of our loved ones make get shot, hurt or maimed and see what it feels like from a parent or mother or grandmother," says Coalition president Perry Mays.
