Marysville Cops Offer Peek Into Life Of Police Officer

MARYSVILLE (CBS13) — A peek into the life of a police officer isn't something you typically get to experience. But young adults and teenagers in Marysville are now seeing first-hand what it means to serve and protect.

"These scenarios make you more cognizant and more aware of how quickly things happen," said Marysville Police Chief Christian Sachs.

For the first time, Marysville Police Department is inviting high school students to attend their Citizen's Training Academy. This on the same day that tens of thousands of students took to the streets to demand more gun safety in their schools.

The difference between life and death can come down to matter of seconds. Now Marysville High School students are learning the ins and outs of being a police officer.

"What I'm going to see here, I'm going to see in the military," said Tyler Lopez, 17-year-old high school senior.

"I want to go into law enforcement," said Brittany Perry, a 26-year-old currently in education.

Participants get to experience using a Taser, a modified handgun and pepper spray.

The use-of-force simulator provides a crash course on learning when to fire and when to negotiate. Various scenarios include an active shooter on a school campus, violence in a parking lot and a bank robbery. And each one is controlled by an officer, so no two situations are the same.

"The purpose of this is really to help define your judgment," said Jason Taylor, a firearms instructor with Marysville Police Department.

And after a glimpse of the action, Perry says she's in awe of what many officers experience every day.

"When we're sleeping at night, someone has to, you know, protect us," she told CBS13. "And so they go through all that just for us. So it's great."