Amanda Forrester / news@whmi.com

Have you ever wondered what goes into the decision for a Livingston County Sheriff’s Office deputy to use force?

As part of a new series, I’ll be taking part in several Livingston County Sheriff’s Office’s Citizens’ Police Academy to give a glimpse for those who may not be able to attend or aren’t sure what the classes entail.

Throughout their training on the use of force, Sgt. Kendall Kretzschmer, Lt. Chad Sell and Deputy Ray Marino all said the goal is to use the smallest amount of force needed to keep everyone safe.

On the side of authorities, anything from making commands and calling for backup, up to deadly force, are used depending on the way the suspect is responding to them. Sometimes, the decision to use a higher level of force comes very quickly if the situation changes.

Since the advent of camera phones, videos showing interactions between the police and the public have become more popular. Many agencies require their officers to wear body cameras, which can be used to determine if use of force was justified or not.

All three said that in certain cases, videos released by the public are edited to put forward a specific picture, but that it may not show the full story. It’s important to gather all the facts, and see if there is additional footage available before making a decision.

Kretzschmer and Marino also spoke about the recent mistrial and dismissal of charges for former Grand Rapids Police officer Christopher Schurr for the fatal shooting of Patrick Lyoya. Lyoya was shot in the back of the head in 2022 after the escalation of a traffic stop.

They both said the concern for law enforcement in a situation like that is when a suspect is able to grab a Taser. A Taser renders the person it’s used on incapacitated, and the fear for law enforcement is that they would be equally vulnerable in a potentially deadly situation.

The final portion of the training is a Taser demonstration. A couple volunteers felt what a Taser feels like, and said they were ultimately happy to have tried it, but would prefer not to go through it again.

A following class gave us the chance to put ourselves in the position of law enforcement by using their simulator to run through various scenarios. As a group, we watched each other work through a simulation then discussed how things went, why we made a certain decision and what we would do differently.

Scenarios ranged from people who were threatening others, people acting slightly weird, but not enough to raise concerns immediately and those who took their own lives. Participants had a range of reactions to the scenarios, from shock at how quickly things unfolded to wishing they had acted sooner or in a different way.

My turn began with trepidation before it even started. I knew logically it was a simulation, and regardless of my actions, no one would be hurt, but adrenaline started as soon as I stood in place and had the prop gun. The man in my scenario left the car, shouting statements that hinted at self-harm, and I yelled commands back to encourage him to drop his weapon. He ultimately took his own life, and the simulation ended. It was shocking how quick it moved and how disappointed I was that I couldn’t convince him to drop his weapon.

Having attended both classes, I do have a new understanding for why things unfold the way they do. I don’t believe you can paint all officer-involved shootings or uses of force with the same brush, but I do think classes like this force you to really think about how you would react if you found yourself with these kinds of decisions put at your feet.