In traffic stop training, officers learn how to calm situations withwords, when to call for back up, and when to use deadly force. They needall those skills when making traffic stops. Troopers say sending a car tothe side of the road is risky business.
"Anything can happen anytime of the day and it does," says Trooper W.B.Vaughn. "History has certainly proven that."
It was proven Tuesday when at midday the unthinkable happened. It also forces officers to think about how unpredictable and dangerous trafficstops can be.
Vaughn says it can be anything from a routine stop with no problems tosomebody fleeing, to an all out fight to a fatal assault.
That's why some cruisers are equipped with cameras. They record troubleand can be used for evidence or to look back, critique and addresstraining needs and revise training if need be.
Lieutenant Fletcher Clay says NC troopers undergo extensive traffic stoptraining during the academy and that includes officer survival.
"We hope that they would employ some of those tactics to make that stopas safe as it could be," Fletcher says.
But even with the training, officers admit there's no way to make stops100% safe.
Vaughn admits there's a job to be done. He and many other officersjust do it and hope for the best.
Troopers say these stops can be so volatile because they might pull a carover for speeding, but the driver may have just committed a crime, couldhave weapons or drugs in the car. Officers just don't know.
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