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GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. – Tuesday, a Guilford County sheriff's deputy shot and killed a 17-year-old carrying a knife. Officials say every time an officer is involved in a shooting, it raises questions about when authorities should use deadly force.

Tuesday, Family members called 911 saying that Christian Rook was threatening them with a knife. Authorities say when Deputy Barry Glosson arrived and approached, Rook wouldn't put the knife down and kept advancing, and Glossen shot Rook in the chest. Rook later died at Moses Cone Hospital.

“As law enforcement officers, we never know from day to day, from minute to minute what we’re going to find ourselves in,” said Lt. Randy Shepard, of the Guilford County Sheriff's Office.

Needless to say, hands-on training to prepare is vital.

Firearms training instructor Jerry Cooper said officers need to prepare for “all types of scenarios, from vehicle stops to domestic violence situations, peoples with guns, knives, baseball bats, tire tools, tire irons, whatever.”

Basic law enforcement teachers at Guilford Technical Community College put police recruits through the firearms training simulator also known as FATS.

"I've had officers go through the FATS training here, and later call me and, sometimes in the middle of the night, and tell me, I just want you to know that the training that I had in FATS just saved my life," said Cooper.

“This is great because it gives them the opportunity to see exactly how fast things can happen, how quickly someone can hurt you and how you’ve got to make those split second decisions,” said Shepard.

Authorities say the decision-making skills the simulation teaches can mean the difference between life and death.

“The point when the scenario is over, my heartbeat is racing, my breath was a little bit short, my hands were a little bit clammy, so its very real if you put yourself in the situation,” said Shepard.