The long-distance shooting of a Provo police officer last year has some of his colleagues reaching for a different gun.
Many officers clamored for rifles after Officer Phil Webber's trigger finger was blown off in a shootout last July 6 near the Provo Boat Harbor, but the department didn't have the money.Instead, the department modified its shotguns, which weren't very accurate beyond 25 yards. Shotguns are now equipped with universal sights and can be loaded with slugs, which travel farther than buckshot. Officers say shotguns are the most versatile weapons in the police arsenal.
Police firearms training earlier this month included shotgun and handgun practice. Officers must pass a shooting test before they're allowed to carry slugs along with the standard buckshot. Officers are required to hit seven of 10 targets from various distances and positions in 60 seconds to qualify.
The training, whether it be with a shotgun or handgun, puts officers under stress.
"We try to replicate the street as much as we can," said Sgt. Lee Upchurch, firearms training coordinator.
Police train at a new firing range at the base of Squaw Peak in north Provo.
See GUNS on B2
In addition to basic target practice, officers are placed in scenarios they may encounter on the streets. Officers constructed a building that resembles the floor plan of a house.
The shooter is given a "shoot, no shoot" situation where he or she is confronted by targets that may appear from any direction and may or may not be threatening.
Crime prevention Officer Karen Morales said shooters develop skill in target recognition, shooting accuracy, tactically reloading and thinking while moving through a potentially dangerous situation.
The training helps officer learn split-second decisionmaking.
"In a real life situation, the body does exactly what the mind has learned in training," said Office Ron Hughes.
Upchurch said Provo police have one of the most up-to-date firing ranges in the state.
The type of training Provo officer undergo is usually reserved for tactical units such as SWAT teams, he said.