Shooting simulator open to police, public

Law enforcement officials on Thursday unveiled a new training simulator at Northwest Shooter that’s available not only to them, but also the general public.

Kalispell Police Chief Roger Nasset took a couple of turns in the simulator to show how use-of-force training and target practice have entered the digital age in the Flathead Valley.

A simulated domestic dispute unfolded on the 300-degree array of screens around Nasset as he responded to a 911 hang-up at a home.

Nasset entered an open front door to find a man pointing a gun at a woman’s head and screaming at her. A dog barked somewhere in the house. A baby in a car seat on the kitchen counter behind the man and woman cried just as loudly.

His own handgun drawn, Nasset pleaded with the screaming and agitated man to put his gun down, talk things over and not make things worse. In one simulation it worked. Nasset coaxed the man into surrendering and no one got hurt.

In another case, it didn’t.

Nasset had to shoot and kill the man before the man shot and killed the woman. In a third case, with Nasset deliberately missing his chance to act, the man shot and killed the woman and then started firing at him.

One big advantage of the VirTra simulator at Northwest Shooter is how it quickly responds to a participant’s statements and actions.

“On a live-fire range, you don’t get to practice verbal skills. Here it’s really important,” Nasset said. “You can talk to people until you’re hoarse, but you have to do the same thing on the street.”

The simulator has almost 100 different use-of-force scenarios. They range from simple traffic stops to armed robberies. New scenarios are released every few months. Each has multiple outcomes that can unfold based on how a participant handles a situation or how an operator wants a scenario to unfold.

Participants use real handguns, rifles and shotguns fitted with laser inserts and cartridges that mimic a recoil with every shot. Participants can also use a flashlight, mace or a Taser. Picking the right tool for the job and being quick on the draw — but not too quick — are part of the challenge.

The broad field of view from the high-definition screens and a surround-sound system means officers must keep their eyes and ears focused on the situation in front of them and remain alert for others who might be around and mean to cause them harm.

The simulator opened at Northwest Shooter in March. The shooting range worked with the city of Kalispell on the project. It was paid for with a $750,000 federal grant that will also build a 50-yard tactical shooting range complete with remote control and turning targets. The range will be able to handle anything up to and including .50 caliber ammunition and be unveiled in mid-July.

The simulator is already being used by local, state and federal law enforcement agencies that have 24-hour access to it. It’s not just a video game where officers go to blast everything in sight, said Bob Hensley, a trooper with the Montana Highway Patrol.

“The goal is to get the best outcome possible — to go in and not shoot anybody and tune your skills to work better,” Hensley said. “It’s stressful in there. Your palms get sweaty, your heart starts pounding.”

Officers wear a threat-fire simulator while training. Nasset held one up as it crackled with electricity like a Taser.

“Threat fire hurts. If you mess up, you know you’ll pay for it. It’s the same thing on the street,” he said. “It gives you the effect of being injured, and you don’t stop. You have to fight through that pain.”

One improper use-of-force lawsuit could cost a city like Kalispell much more than the $215,000 cost of the simulator. “It will make the officer safer, the community safer,” Nasset said of the training equipment.

Bob and Jeff Hughes, owners of Northwest Shooter, said they were happy to work with the city on the project. “We believe that will translate into greater public safety and greater officer safety,” Bob Hughes said.

The simulator also has more direct benefits for the general public, offering safe and affordable digital target practice. Northwest Shooter employee Doug Davis shot off a few rounds to demonstrate. He holds the current record of six accurate shots in 1.659 seconds.

Bob Hughes ran through one of the use-of-force training scenarios that will be made available to the public. It has the participant waiting for a woman to finish using an automated teller machine when a man with a knife comes up to steal her purse.

The scenarios offer valuable training for the many people carrying concealed weapons in the Flathead Valley, Hughes said. That training can help them make sure they’re ready to do the right thing if the time comes.

“Maybe you retreat and become a good witness. Or maybe you get involved and do something,” Hughes said.

The cost of using the simulator for the general public is $45 per session. Sessions can be scheduled online at www.northwestshooter.com.