To shoot or not? Los Angeles sheriff's deputies undergo use-of-force training simulation

MONTEREY PARK, Calif. (KABC) -- During an active shooter situation, authorities often only have a split second to decide whether or not to shoot.

"No deputy wants to make the decision to take another human life, and it impacts everyone who's involved in that incident." Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Assistant Sheriff Todd Rogers said.

The department is hoping a recently acquired use-of-force simulator can help provide the realistic training deputies need to make the right choice. The VirTra V-300 immerses deputies in more than 100 scenarios they could potentially face in the field, including a person with a gun, domestic violence or hostage situations.

"The scenario is as realistic as I've ever been through," Deputy Thomas Aragon said. "Your heart starts beating a little faster because the situation is constantly, dynamically changing."

Deputies are able to choose which type of weapons to use, including real handguns, shotguns and rifles. The firearms are modified and filled with compressed carbon dioxide instead of live ammunition.

Stun guns or pepper spray can also be used. In some cases, however, the appropriate response is to simply communicate and not deploy any weapon.

"A lot of people talk about the fact that we shoot to kill. We shoot to stop. We shoot to stop the threat and once the threat is eliminated then we stop shooting," Rogers said.

Officials hope the extra training will help save lives.

"If we have zero deputy-involved shootings that would be desirable, probably unrealistic because most of those are driven by the action of the suspects," Rogers said. "Certainly, if we do make the decision to shoot, we want to make sure we shoot the right people."