f.b.i. holds media day

Shooting sub-machines guns probably isn't the start of an average day for most media personal but on Monday, November 2^nd that was a highlight for many who attended the first ever Federal Bureau of Investigations (F.B.I.) media day held at the Phil Keith Training Center, also known as the  Knoxville Police Department Range.

Television stations, radio and print media were invited to attend the event which covered many aspects of the work the F.B.I. does in the community and around the world.

"That was pretty cool," stated Knoxville News Sentinel write Don Jacobs after taking his turn with one of the two machine guns that were offered by the F.B.I. for media members to try their hand at target practice.

Shooting at a target with an instructor nearby was nothing compared to the real life scenario that unfolded in the training room as Knoxville Police Department officer is Shane Watson took each media member in attendance through a "what if" dramatization. These scenarios included everything from being inside a high school shooting scene to entering into a domestic dispute situation with a man holding a loaded weapon. In one case, while pretending to be the "officer on the scene," one media member was faced with what to do when someone points a loaded gun at you. Even after shooting the suspect in less than two seconds it was apparent in the instant replay, that it was one second too long as that media member had already been shot and killed by the assailant. "It really makes you stop and think," stated Seymour Herald Publisher Joe Karl. "If I had to go back and do it again I would have acted sooner. But at the time you aren't sure what to do, and that fraction of a second you wait could cost you your life."

According to F.B.I. Agent SA Bob Bissell that is the purpose of the training. "We want our officers to go through these scenarios here in a protected environment so when they go out of the street and something happens they would have already experienced it and would have already reacted to it.

FBI media representative Stacie Bohanan stated, "These types of events are critical to ensuring ongoing, effective communication and offering the opportunity for everyone involved to better understand each others' capabilities as well as limitations.