Cook County deputies train for life-or-death situations at newly upgraded facility

CHICAGO - Cook County Sheriff’s deputies are honing their skills with high-intensity training at a newly upgraded facility designed to prepare them for real-world emergencies.

From hostage rescues to active shooter situations, the drills are based on actual encounters officers have faced in the field, ensuring they’re ready for anything.

Every second counts when deputies hit the streets, and their decisions can mean the difference between life and death. That’s why the Cook County Sheriff’s Office has revamped its tactical training facility, equipping officers with the skills needed to respond to the most dangerous situations.

FOX 32 got a firsthand look at their intense drills—where precision, speed, and teamwork are key. 

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In this simulation, the stakes may not be life or death, but for the deputies on the Cook County Sheriff’s Hostage Barricade Team, the training feels as real as it gets.

The team also has a sniper in position, ready to act if needed. He's spent 10 years as a county sniper—but has never had to pull the trigger.

"We will set up in a spot on a target's house or where the area is. We're basically mostly used for like real-time intelligence gathering, so we can relay it to our command post, command bus, they have intel of what we see. We'll section off where we think, like, you know, groups should be at or setup points. We're mostly over watch protection for our guys moving up in the stack, even though we are used dually, like if there is no sniper needed, we'll jump in the stack with the guys, and then to eliminate a threat if need be," said operator and sniper Robert Devogelar. 

Every Cook County Sheriff's deputy on patrol undergoes this same critical training.

"These are your rounds, these are sim rounds. If you notice, they are loaded, they have a loading here. When we fire, this ejects, this tip ejects and strikes you, and puts pain on you. That's letting you know that your actual target was struck," said Luis Domenech, Commander of Police. 

They conduct live-action shooting drills, practice handling hostage situations, and prepare for active shooter incidents, including responses to school shootings.

The facility, recently upgraded with nearly $1 million in investment, is now state-of-the-art. Its mission? To equip officers with the skills to neutralize threats before resorting to lethal force.

"Our goal is to always communicate, deescalate and try never to have to use lethal force, and if we do have to use force, we want to use the least amount of force possible," said Bradley Curry, Chief of Staff for the Cook County Sheriff's Office. 

The range is accessible to federal and state law enforcement agencies, and every county officer is required to complete annual re-certification here.

These drills are far from random—they’re designed based on real-life situations officers have encountered on the streets.

At this range, training goes beyond hitting a target—it’s about preparing officers to save lives.

"We look at bodycam, we see what our staff encounter, we pay very close to the interactions they have to make and then we use that footage to come up with scenarios to put them in situations that we've seen from the bodycam," said Curry. 

What's next:

The goal is to minimize unnecessary use of force while ensuring officers are ready to handle real-life threats.

Every Cook County officer is required to complete this training annually.