Learn the police process behind pulling the trigger

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - A West Lafayette Police Sergeant spoke out about just how difficult it is to have to pull their trigger when out in the field.

Every day Sgt. Arthur Choate with the West Lafayette Police Department puts his badge on he's also putting his life on the line in order to make sure he's keeping the community safe.

"Truth be told, it's an honor," Sgt. Choate said. "A lot of people take it as an honor to be able to do that."

Although he said it's an honor, he said it's not easy. He knows every day he could be faced with a life or death situation and may have to make some difficult decisions while in the field.

"I've been fortunate that I actually haven't had to pull the trigger in a deadly situation," Sgt. Choate said. "But the stress alone is immense. I've talked to officers who have been in different situations and it's just immense."

But Sgt. Choate said it's difficult to predict how to react when officers are placed in a threatening situation. He said the question is always raised when police are involved in a shooting: When is it justified to kill someone?

He said it's a case-by-case scenario and every situation is different.

However, he said no matter what the life-threatening situation is there are many questions that run through an officer's mind while having to make those difficult, split-second decisions.

"Do they have the means? Do they have a gun? Do they have a knife? Do they have a baseball bat? Is there something behind it? What's their motive? And do they have the opportunity to use that weapon or something against a police officer," Sgt. Choate said.

That's when he said all of the training they do on a regular basis comes into play.

"It starts down at the academy," Sergeant Choate explained. "We have law classes we go through. We go through discussions of use of force. From the academy and on it goes into field training and further training for our officers. And then there is always the continuing education."

At the end of the day, he said it's the training which they rely on in order to go home to families after every shift.

"It has to be in the back of your mind at all times," Sgt. Choate said. "We're only human and we have families too, you know? And we want to go home to our families as well, every single night."

Sgt. Choate said when they do have to pull the trigger, he said they shoot to stop any life-threatening action that is going on, even if it means having to kill someone.