Police in Wilmington train on how to use their guns and when

WILMINGTON, N.C. — Wilmington Police Department officers go through extensive dry fire training to prepare for firearm use on the job. 

Everyday police officers have to be prepared to draw their firearms, and that’s where training, like simulators, come into play.

Originally from Charlotte, Lt. Matt Fox has been with the Wilmington Police Department for the last 24 years. 

“Prevention avoidance of force if possible. We don’t want to actually have to use force or hurt anybody,” Fox said.

From being a detective to being a member of the SWAT team, and now as an instructor, he said he’s dreamt of serving his community since he was a boy. 

He added, though, he’s also accepted the challenges of the job.

“There are going to be times where we have to use force and it’s unavoidable. But prevention and decision making and then the final component is performance,” Fox said.

On a virtual simulator and at the range, he explained most of the firearms training is actually done without live fire. This dry fire practice is crucial in the development of firearm proficiency, according to Fox. 

By the end of the training, the process should be almost involuntary, he said.

“We’re building neural pathways so that the officer can understand and learn all of these complex skills that most people don’t typically think about and own it at an intuitive level,” Lt. Fox said. 

During the range session, trainees work on drawing their firearms. 

“We want to make sure we’re doing this absolutely safely. No ammo anywhere in sight, but find a place to train and do it from the holster,” Fox said. 

Trainees like Travis Shumate know the importance of practice and understanding their firearm since it is so new to many of them. 

“Getting the repetitions and being able to kind of have that muscle memory and be able to do it without even thinking,” Shumate said.

Fox hopes the public better understands the difficult situations officers face to protect and serve their communities through proper policies from the department.

There were 60 shootings by law enforcement officers in North Carolina in 2023. There have been 12 shootings by law enforcement officers in North Carolina so far this year.

Spectrum News 1 documented each police shooting and built a new map and database.