Activists participate in police use-of-force training
Chas Moore, head of the Austin Justice Coalition, an activist group, attended a training exercise with the Texas Municipal Police Association Wednesday.
HUTTO, Texas (KXAN) -- Chas Moore, head of the Austin Justice Coalition, an activist group, attended a training exercise with the Texas Municipal Police Association Wednesday.
The Austin Justice Coalition has a history of being highly critical about local police use of force cases, including the 2020 shooting death of Michael Ramos - which an Austin police officer still faces a murder charge for.
The training consisted of three simulations where Moore role played as an officer in a police response scenario.
One scenario involved a response to a call for a man acting suspiciously at a park; the man was armed with a knife in his pocket, unbeknownst to the responding officer. The next scenario was a traffic stop, and the final scenario involved an unarmed man experiencing a mental health episode who wouldn't fully obey police orders to stay back.
"I think it's good to come get perspective. So as much as I have views and opinions about law enforcement, It's like 'Ok well let me put myself in their shoes,'" Moore said before the training began. "See if something changes. Maybe. Maybe it will, maybe it won't."
Moore said he had previously done a similar training experience with the Austin Police Department.
Officers debriefed with each participant - which included other members of the Austin Coalition as well - individually after each scenario.
"I'm not gonna give any of you guys flack for making a life or death decision in this scenario," Moore said after completing the first exercise which included a simulation of an armed man at a park. "This makes sense to me. Do I wish we had other possibilities to make sure everyone can go home? Absolutely."
Kevin Lawrence, the executive director of the Texas Municipal Police Association, said the organization believes "that it's important that the more our citizens understand why police officers do what they do the way they do it, the better citizens will understand. The better relationship we'll have between law enforcement and the communities they serve."
Moore said he respects the dangers and difficult decisions officers face every day, but that doesn't mean he won't stay critical if he has concerns about certain situations.
"It's not these things that most people are complaining about though, right? We're talking about the George Floyds, the David Josephs, the Michael Ramos', things of those natures," he said. "But yeah you know I think we need more things like this, more conversations like this, to get us to where we all need to be."