Ohio Peace Officers Training Academy Cine-VR Training Series

An immersive, scenario-based virtual reality training series developed by Ohio University will serve as the centerpiece for the State of Ohio’s Peace Officer Training Academy a program that will train approximately 30,000 law enforcement professionals across the state.

In 2022, Eric and the GRID Lab started developing state-wide cinematic VR training experiences for law enforcement. Based on the success of the ALEI and the MESP projects, Tom Quinlan (director of the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy - OPOTA) took the role of creative producer and initiated the first of three cine-VR series. Eric co-wrote and directed the first two series under Quinlan’s leadership. Each series is six-episodes long. All told, each series is equivalent to a feature film in length.

Each series follows a set of police officers as they navigate the fictional town of Latona, Ohio. Season One focuses on four officers.

SEASON ONE: REALITY OF POLICING

Thieves in Harding Park

Officers are dispatched to a public park on the report of a stolen bicycle. On scene, they encounter four teens. Two of the teens are dressed similarly, both matching the suspect description. Each teen has a different personality. As the situation evolves, each officer uses different approaches with the teens as they try to uncover illegal activities and address "the teen brain".

JUMPER on HIGH PLAINS BRIDGE

Officer Regan is dispatched to a suicide jumper - a distraught teenager. Regan reads the scene and gains the girl's trust, navigating her destructive impulses. During the intervention, Regan suspects that there is more to the story (e.g.: possible victim of human trafficking). By the end, the officer evolves from seeing the young woman as "a person in crisis" to determining that he needs to go "beyond the call".

OAK STREET:  DOMESTIC IN PROGRESS

As officers Regan and Glen prepare to start their shift, Glen on the phone in a family dispute involving domestic violence. He is obviously distressed. Regan notices but doesn't say anything. Their first call is a domestic violence call where things heat up between the abusive husband and one of the officers. The other officer has a duty to intervene, causing a confrontation between officers back at HQ.

WILD BILL’S BRAWL in INDIAN HILLS

Officers Burke and Yale respond to a call from a family reporting that their child has barricaded himself in the house. The family is hoping for a peaceful resolution but is not forthcoming with information needed to assess the situation. Upon entering the house, officers find that the "child" is a grown man itching for a fight. The encounter results in a physical altercation leaving both officers injured and the young man in handcuffs. Although the altercation was justified, it is not seen that way by the family.

PINK SLIP ISSUED on runway drive

Officers Yale and Burke respond to a wellness check. When they arrive, it's difficult to obtain information from the caseworker. When the situation becomes exigent, the officers enter the home and encounter the patient in a mental health crisis. Officers must "read the room" to determine whether the woman is a threat to herself and/or others, including the officers.

shots fired AT CW High

Officers are dispatched to a high school for a wellness check on a distraught student. On scene, the officers must navigate useful and non-useful information from administration as the situation escalates. A shot is fired inside the school and the officers enter the building. The officers must assess the facts, retrieve the gun, de-escalate the situation, and bring the confrontation to a peaceful resolution.

SEASON TWO: Multi-Dimensional POLICING

Fireworks on Oak Street

Returning to a call from season one, officer Glen anticipates another domestic violence call. However, this call turns into a suicide prevention situation as the husband has barricaded himself in the basement, heavily armed. Glen has a connection with the husband, having both served in Afghanistan, and strengthens that connection as he tries to talk the husband to a peaceful resolution.

Choices on the One Bus

Two officers wind up in a standoff with a man wielding a knife and suffering from a schizophrenic episode. The younger officer says all the right things, but is he listening to the music? His cover officer has a better understanding of the situation, but will he get the chance to take the lead? The audience decides how the story plays out, knowing that the wrong choice could have dire consequences.

Stolen Vehicle on Route 16

A rookie questions his superior, comparing his new job in law enforcement to the career of his father had on the force. Moments later, the two officers are involved in a high speed pursuit of a stolen car - a chase that ends with the officers making high pressure, tactical decisions under rising pressure. The young officer is not prepared for what he discovers when the doors to the stolen car open.

Knock & Talk at THE Red House

After rescuing a potential suicide jumper last season, officer Regan suspects that the young woman has escaped from a human trafficking network. While a detective interviews the young woman at the hospital, trying to identify the men who kidnapped her, officer Regan conducts an informal "knock and talk" at her home and catches one man in a series of inconsistencies.

Traffic Stop at Butcher Street Storage

Officer Burke is ambushed during a traffic stop. Later, she confronts the personal ramifications of an officer involved critical incident. Her sergeant explains the legal and professional requirements of the department while wrestles with the emotional and psychological impact of the day's events. That night, Burke confronts "the dark spiral" and struggles with whether to seek professional help.

Protest at City Hall

Dialogue officers Burke and Yale attempt to de-escalate a public protest before it starts. Cross cutting between amped up college students and defiant city officials, this experience explores the blind sides of each party, illustrating how seemingly small decisions can snowball when people don't live up to their word - and how officers might be able to pivot before, during, and after such problems arise.