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Lethbridge police get real life hostage training

LETHBRIDGE – It looked like something out of an action thriller movie: Lethbridge Regional Police tactical team and explosive disposal unit conducted various mock hostage-taking scenarios on the city’s north side Tuesday night.

Even though it was just a training exercise, officers treated it like the real deal.

“In the grand scheme of things it is very important,” said Cst. David Easter, an explosives technician. “Our whole goal here is to deescalate a situation and to get in and maintain that public safety. If we mess up in any of those areas it could be detrimental.”

Officers practiced various situations that involved different ways to gain access into a building, such as breaking glass, using gas and explosives.

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Easter emphasized any wrong move could escalate danger in a situation, so teams need to maintain the skills they’ve learned in training.

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“We want to make sure everything is done in the exact moment when it is supposed to be done. We do not want to overstep our bounds.”

The mock setup was staged at a home located at 723 18 Street North, and lasted from 3:30 p.m. until 6 p.m.

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