MEMPHIS, Tenn. — In the wake of several attacks on law enforcement officers nationwide, WREG visited the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office training facility to discuss the stress involved with performing traffic stop.
A Louisiana State Trooper was the most recent law enforcement officer to die in the line of duty.
He was checking on a truck in a ditch.
Memphis Police Officer Sean Bolton was shot and killed earlier this month checking on an illegally parked car near Cottonwood and Perkins, according to police.
WREG asked the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office what impact these events have on deputies and officers here.
Chief Inspector Joe Ruff explained deputies undergo training to prepare them for stressful situations.
They even invited a WREG reporter to undergo simulated traffic stops to get a feel for what could happen.
In our simulations, a motorcyclist refused to stay put on his bike.
In one scenario, he even fired shots.
Ruff said data didn’t reveal a dramatic spike in attacks on officers, but instead believed recent incidents involving officers have nabbed national headlines.
“Some that were justified and some that were unjustified. I think there’s more of a spotlight on law enforcement,” Ruff said.
He said stories about attacks on officers can jolt law enforcement.
“When we see it more and more frequently, I think that does impact officers, and as trainers and commanders, it’s incumbent on us to make sure the officers don’t change their methodology,” Ruff said.
