Instincts Develop in Training, Time And aside from the psychological issues, there's also the fact that bullets fly faster when officers are using semi-automatic weapons. It's not like they have to stop and reload every time. Even in cases where the suspect turns out to be unarmed, just the perception of threat is enough to trigger an adrenaline dump. As Artwohl explains, cops under stress work on instinct. And the quality of that instinct depends largely on training and past experience.
Inadequate training can lead to bad instincts.
Like cops in many major cities, officers in Washington, D.C., use a sophisticated training device called FATS, or Firearms Training Simulator. A 12-foot movie screen projects images of various bad guys, and the officer decides whether or not to shoot at them with a laser gun. The program was implemented in 1993, after the D.C. cops came under heavy criticism for a high number of police shootings. Like a real-life encounter, the simulator provokes a strong adrenaline rush. After it's over, supervisors run through the video again and review the trainee's mistakes.