PDA

View Full Version : When should training scenarios end, post OIS procedures, and body cameras.



pablo
07-07-2015, 01:42 PM
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/escapee-shot-killed-by-trinidad-officer-is-idd
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b4d_1436156187

Other than doing a building search by himself for some inexplicable reason, the officer did a pretty good job.

After the suspect was down things fell apart really fast. There's no crime scene security or integrity measure in place, there's no evidence handling procedures being followed, the officer is running his mouth.

The officer made numerous unsolicited statements to other officers, even worse he was questioned by other officers without being Mirandized or placed under Garrity. Especially with the prevalence of cameras, it's really important to shut the hell up. An officer may need to make a statement at the scene, it may even be compelled by policy, but it needs to be brief and limit potentially incriminating information.

The whole thing reeks to me of running training scenarios where the officer deals with a suspect, the scenario is immediately ended, and everyone has a little pow-wow at the end. That's the nature of the beast, running one shooting scenario that last 30 seconds and is followed up with a 3 hour simulated investigation is not an efficient use of limited resources. Officers need to be mentally prepared to deal with an OIS both as an involved officer, a witness officer (present but did not shoot) and as a responding or investigating officer.

Camera's are just there, they just record. What an officer says at the scene may not match what his camera recorded. What an officer remembers after 72 hours may not match previous statements. Unsolicited statements are not protected by the fifth amendment, answering officer friendly's questions probably won't fall under Miranda. Regardless of who's involved sloppy crime scene work is sloppy crime work, a free for all viewing gallery at an OIS is a great way to get accused of planting a gun.