GOSHEN – Shouts of “police open up” came from ordinary citizens as Orange County residents were able to put themselves in the shoes of law enforcement through the use of the Firearms Training Simulator (FATS) Thursday night.
Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler and law enforcement played host to members of the community to explain how a grand jury works and give them an opportunity to use FATS.
For more than an hour Hoovler and his staff discussed the Orange County Grand Jury system explaining what it is, why it’s needed, how it works and answered questions.
Reverend John Richard Borden, president of the NAACP branch of Newburgh
and Highland Falls, came to the event looking to get a feel for what the
officials were saying in order to start a liaison and dialog before there
are any incidences in the city. He was very pleased with what
he heard.
“Very satisfied with what they are trying to do. Now we can work together with them and now maybe we can work together to pre-plan before anything happens,” Borden said.
Acting Newburgh City Police Chief Daniel Cameron discussed the dynamics of armed encounters explaining that they are “tense uncertain rapidly evolving situations.”
Members of the community asked questions about the use of deadly force and the police training in these situations that calls aiming at the center mass.
Hoovler explained that a grand jury has to look at a case of a police shooting from the viewpoint of the officer with similar training in a similar situation.
This is where the FATS simulator is a useful tool in helping the community understand the challenges of a grand jury.
It can also provide useful insight to the public regarding situations where police officers might be forced to draw a weapon in a face-to-face encounter.
The DA said he held the session “given what’s happened across the United States, in Ferguson and Staten Island.”
Former congressman and family off to Paris
April 29, 2024
