RAPID CITY, S.D.(KOTA)- A quiet morning at the Pennington County Fairgrounds was disrupted Monday by the sounds of foot chases, vehicle pursuits, and exchanged fire.

All for the sake of providing Rapid City Police Department officers training for potentially deadly situations.

The exercise used wax tipped paintballs fired from Glock-model simulation guns, designed to emulate the experience of being in a situation officers have no control over.

RCPD Sgt. Andrew Kimbell said this type of training is all about suspension of disbelief.

Kimbell said these training exercises ratchet up the realism as much as safely possible.

Law Enforcement Studies students from Western Dakota Tech served as the “bad guys” in the training exercises, doing everything from fleeing officers, taking hostages, and exchanging fire.