Officer involved in shooting explains what it’s like to be cop

Police officers using deadly force have been making headlines nationally and even locally.

Most people can’t imagine losing a family member this way, and ever fewer think about what it’s like for a cop to have to make that call.

“It’s not something any police officer wants to do, but we recognize it’s a reality of the profession,” said Capt. Sam Hulse of the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office. “Officers are placed in very dire situations and are expected to gain control of that situation. It’s not any easy profession, but the people that I work with are willing to do it.”

He had to fire his weapon on the job. Hulse was cleared of any wrong doing, but he says it still has an impact.

“It affects you and it affects your family. It affects your friends and those that know you, of course the press is going to report on that and people ask you questions and some people look at you differently because of that,” he said.

Hulse said even though it is a tough job, he is still honored to be a cop because of the thing he sees other officers do out the kindness of their hearts on a daily basis.

“We are not machines. We are human. And we’re just there to do a very difficult job. And we’re honored to do that job. That is the true side of law enforcement that is out there every day and there is somebody right now probably 50 miles from where we are sitting doing something like that. but it’s not going to be on the newstonight because it’s just the way the profession works.”