DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — Deputies in Douglas County are trying to shine a light on the obstacles they face in the dark since they say 75% of armed confrontations happen at night.
Channel 2′s Tom Jones got a behind-the-scenes look at how Douglas County deputies train in the dark.
“The world looks a lot different with the lights off,” Master Sgt. Omereo Potts with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said.
“At nighttime, it’s a lot harder to see everything. Your depth perception is off, your color perception is off, everything looks black and white,” Deputy Amanda Coleman described.
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Firearm trainers say the state mandates daytime firearm training. Douglas County Sheriff Tim Pounds has also mandated that his deputies undergo yearly nighttime firearm training.
“Statistics show that 75% of armed confrontations happen during lowlight situations, so it’s very important that we train on that,” Potts said.
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Jones was there as trainers turned off the lights to simulate darkness so deputies could undergo the nighttime training.
Deputies then went through several scenarios where they had to hit a target with no light, one with flashing lights and one with a flashlight or the light on their weapon.
Coleman says the training isn’t only helpful for nighttime situations. She says it also helps for when she has to pursue someone in a dark building or in a heavily wooded area.
“You just never know. The public needs help 24/7, and it’s our job to make sure the public is safe,” she said.
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