WARRICK CO., IN (WFIE) -
Sheriff's deputies are armed with rifles, and they're training how to use them.
The sheriff's office started working with rifles a few years ago, and this year, just about all of the patrolmen have them.
The sheriff says rifles offer law enforcement extra protection in serious situations.
"We come out and do this once or twice a year, just make sure everyone is proficient with them," said Warrick County Sheriff Brett Kruse.
Sheriff Kruse says they don't use rifles or guns often, which is why they need active training when a "weapons call" comes in to dispatch or other serious situations.
"The patrol rifle is for situations where there would be a shootout or a potential shoot out long distance, instead of up close," Sheriff Kruse said.
"Any situation where the potential is there when you are on the way to the call and sometimes we have a perimeter set up, we've got somebody out on the move that has run from law enforcement. Situations when you have somebody barricaded," Kruse said.
When a shot is fired, every bullet has to be accounted for.
"You could see the faster people were yelling in your ear, 1-2-3, you still have to make the shot on one, and the shot on two. He could yell out 29 numbers and you still have to make all those shots work out," the trainer said.
"It's just getting the guys used to shooting from different positions, instead of just standing there shooting at a target. We are shooting around barricades, shooting from prone positions, from kneeling, some standing, moving. Just different situations that would be more real life than just standing at a firing range, shooting at a stationary target," Kruse said.
"You might have a foot and a half wall, but that is your only cover. You have to figure out some way to overcome that. Same thing here, you might just have some little whole like that and that's the only place you can peek through," the trainer said.
Kruse says all but a handful of deputies have a rifle, and go through the day long training.
"It's good training to keep the guys familiar with the weapon," Kruse said.
Most of the departments in our Tri-State area also use patrol rifles.
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The sheriff says rifles offer law enforcement extra protection in serious situations.
