The San Francisco Police Department on Tuesday demonstrated a new virtual tool that helps police officers train for when and when not to use deadly force.
Officers provided a closeup look at the simulator at the department's training range that re-creates more than 200 real-life scenarios.
It will be used to train every sworn officer, from recruits to 20-year veterans, the department said.
"They go through a program that takes you from the simplest contact to a tourist in San Francisco, all the way up to what you saw earlier, a dramatic active shooter," Cmdr. Peter Walsh said.
In December 2016, the SFPD changed its use of force policy, emphasizing de-escalation over deadly force. Use of force incidents dropped 16 percent from 2016 to 2017 and are down again this year.
