CMPD opens up firearms simulator, explains traffic stops at bilingual event

Nearly 25 members of Charlotte’s Latino community saw behind the scenes of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for three hours Sunday at the police training academy.

They learned how CMPD officers decide to use Tasers and guns, chose whether to shoot during a firearms simulator and attempted to stop suspects – really plainclothes officers – while wondering if they were armed, on foot and in cars.

Officers explained some of the details of their jobs – why they stand slightly behind drivers during traffic stops, how they keep people from reaching for the guns on their belts. They talked about the emotional toll of violence and death, too.

Manuel Betancur, who owns a bakery in Charlotte, said he experienced some of what officers feel during tense situations, such as during the firearms simulator, when participants encountered people who seemed to aim weapons right at them through a video screen.

“I felt like I was scared, you know? And the first moment, boom, I shot twice. I didn’t even pay attention (to my aim),” he said. “It was an eye-opener.”

Betancur said he hopes more people can participate in the program in the future. He said people who criticize the police might find it particularly enlightening.

The invitation list for this event, the first of its kind, focused on leaders in the Latino community, Sherwood said. Police hope Sunday’s participants will share what they learned and potentially help CMPD recruit new officers, Sherwood said.

Sherwood said the program has been in the works for a couple of months. He said Ruben Galindo, the Spanish-speaking man killed by CMPD officers in September, was not mentioned during the question-and-answer session at the beginning of the event.

On Friday, the Mecklenburg County District Attorney announced that the officers involved in Galindo’s death will not be charged.

This story was originally published November 19, 2017 at 8:05 PM with the headline "CMPD opens up firearms simulator, explains traffic stops at bilingual event."