The Cobb County police department is changing its use-of-force and firearms training following an officer-involved shooting that left a teenager with an injury to his upper thigh.

Newly released footage shows former officer James Caleb Elliot firing eight shots at a 16-year-old after the cop pulled him and three others over in a stolen car, according to a release from Cobb Co. officials.

Police told the AJC that Elliot was on a suspicious vehicle call last Novemeber when he discovered the car, driven by the teen, was involved in a carjacking and asked everyone inside to step out.

The teen, who has not been identified, stepped out of the car and ran from the scene, leading the officer on a chase.

Cobb Public Safety Training Captain Andy Hite says these things happen fast, but they will emphasize in training when it is legal for an officer to open fire on a suspect running away.

“After seeing the video, I would want to go back to Tennessee v. Gardner,” Hite tells WSB’s Veronica Waters. In this 1985 civil case, the U.S. Supreme Court held that, under the Fourth Amendment, an officer may not use deadly force on a fleeing suspect unless he or she has “probable cause to believe that the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or others."

Hite says he would want to make sure that officers consider all the factors of each situation.

“You have to consider your backdrop,” Hite explains. "Was a weapon present? How fresh was the crime? What type of crime was committed?”

While Hite says he is always reluctant to second-guess an officer, he believes waiting for backup would have been a better decision in Elliot’s case.

Hite adds that it is important that the actions of police do not become more dangerous than that of the fleeing suspect.

The department will also focus on community safety -- as the officer fired his gun in a residential neighborhood.

“We have coming soon, a new use-of-force simulator that’s being built now at our facility,” Hite says. “It has a 180-degree screen. Through the computer system, you can plug in specific situations like this and put those officers in that situation.

“With the technology now, it feels real.”

He adds, “That’s one of the best ways, in my opinion, we can train our officers to have muscle memory, so to speak, so that when they get in the situation in real life they make the proper decision.”

Asked how he felt after watching the video of the incident with former Cobb officer Elliot, Hite says, “I’ve been an officer of 22 years and anytime I see an officer pull his weapon and give pursuit alone, I cringe.

“It’s a very dangerous situation; it’s unfortunate, but it’s my job to make sure that we train our recruits to go out and handle those situations appropriately.

“That’s what we’re going to do here.”