It is the single most terrifying moment in a cop's life: when instinct, adrenaline, utter fear, and extraordinary courage come together. A moment when a pound of pressure exerted on a trigger is all that separates the killing from being killed.
Here are the dramatic true stories of the police officers that have made that split-second decision. In Shoot to Kill, officers share the nightmares of staring into the darkest corners of the American psyche after making that one life-or-death decision.