MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The Meridian Township Citizens' Police Academy met at Lansing Community College for a class on the proper arrest procedures and use of force.

"We don't shoot for arms, legs, knees, things like that, because the purpose of us drawing our firearm is to prevent someone who's presumably causing death or serious injury to us or someone else," said investigative officer, Ed Besonen.

However, since each case is unique, different variables are examined. Factors like body size, gender, prior training, and accessibility to weapons can influence officers actions and judge rulings. The class used what they learned in the classroom to the test with a shooting simulator.

Members of the academy are given the opportunity to put themselves in officers shoes and decide whether or not to use force in each scenario.

The simulator uses a real gun that has been altered with a laser in the barrel and CO2 charged magazine. The program has more than 200 scenarios that can each be altered based on verbal commands given by the officer. Steve Starr, a retired Lieutenant from Grand Ledge has been working with the system for 2 years and controls what happens in each clip.

"Shooting cardboard targets like we trained for, for years, simply makes us pt a bullet in a small hole," said Starr. "With this, they have to recognize if it is a gun or is a wallet and if it is a threat what is the proper response."

So whether its stern words, a taser, pepper spray or a firearm, members of the academy learned procedures and applied their new knowledge to life-like situations.