How a video game could save lives

TROTWOOD, Ohio (WDTN) - It looks like a typical traffic stop, but where it's being done is anything but typical...inside a Trotwood training center.

"You do actually get stressed," says officer Brian Goody. "It puts your mind through the ringer and you definitely test your skills."

This simulator is more movie-like than anything, but officers get to play the starring role and there are more possibilities than a choose-your-own-adventure book.

"When you're in a situation like this you have no clue what the outcome is going to be," says Trotwood Police Officer Brian Goody.

The scenario with the traffic stop has a good ending, where the man follows orders, and a not so good ending, where he tries to assault the officer, all based on the officer's actions.

Soon many more will get a chance to see those endings.

The Ohio Attorney General's Office has bought eight more simulators to bring the total number to 14 that they take to departments across the state.

On Tuesday they brought two of the simulators to Trotwood.

"I wanted to do a lot more training right at the police departments," says Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine.

Along with the use-of-force simulator is a driving simulator.

It's designed to keep officers from making the wrong turn.

DeWine thinks the simulators can reduce the number of "line-of-duty" deaths because he says shootings and crashes are the two things that put officers most at risk.

"Both of these training tools are aimed at trying to minimize that  to save lives of police officers," DeWine says.