Investigation and Prevention of Officer-Involved Deaths

Cyril H Wecht, M.D. Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science & Law, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Dr Henry C Lee, DP Van Blaricom Chief of Police (Retired), Bellevue, Washington, USA. Mel Tucker Raleigh North Carolina, USA.

• Reducing and Preventing Deaths by Training and Policy Guidance High-Risk Business Civil Liability Negligence Civil Rights Law Enforcement Training Contemporary Law Enforcement Training Basic Recruit and In-Service Training Programs The Field Training Officer Program Job Task Analysis and Training The Need for Change and Leadership Training to Prevent Mistakes and Liability Focused Training on Authority to Use Force Focused Training on Preemptive Action Policies Can Reduce Deaths Supreme Court Decisions on the Use of Force Policy Guidance and Domestic Violence The Exercise of Discretion Prevention of Illegitimate Exercise of Discretion National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals Variables Policies and Procedures The National Law Enforcement Policy Center Police Policies and Official Immunity Identification of Areas in Which Policy and Procedure Guidance Is Needed Summary Endnotes Less-Lethal Weapons Reducing Injury and Death Types of Incidents Less-Lethal Not Required by Law The Ideal Less-Lethal Weapon The National Law Enforcement Technology Center Capture Devices Impact Weapons (Beanbags) Conducted Energy Devices (CEDs) Operational Success of CEDs Scenario How Would You Have Handled the above Scenario? Summary Endnotes Officer-Involved Shootings (OISs) What Would You Have Done? Best Practices Crime Scene Investigation Preliminary Reconstruction Releasing the Scene Laboratory Analysis and Reconstruction Cartridge Cases / Shells Weapon Examination Gunshot Residues (GSR) Examination of Ricochet Bullets Bloodstain Pattern and Tissue Examination Reconstruction Pathology / Medical Examination Endnotes Appendix: IACP National Law Enforcement Policy Center Concepts and Issues Paper Titled Investigation of Officer-Involved Shootings (August 1999) Notes Emergency Vehicle Operations What Would You Have Done? Investigation of Accidents Crime Scene Investigation Best Practices Pathology Autopsy Report of Police Shooting during Pursuit Endnotes Appendix: IACP Vehicular Pursuit Policy Excited Delirium What Would You Have Done? Best Practices Based upon What We Know Investigation of the Scene General Crime Scene Procedure Collection, Preservation, and Packaging of Physical Evidence Preliminary Reconstruction Releasing the Scene TASER and Excited Delirium Endnotes Suicide-by-Cop (SbC) Incidents Indicators of Suicide-by-Cop A Typical SbC Scenario What Would You Have Done? SbC Resolution Tactics Investigation at the SbC Scene General SbC Scene Procedures Crime Scene Search Assignment of Responsibility Preliminary Reconstruction Releasing the Scene Summary of Crime Scene Procedures The Future Endnotes Positional Asphyxiation What Would You Have Done? Best Practices Crime Scene and Forensic Evidence General Procedures Documentation of the Crime Scene Preliminary Reconstruction Autopsy Report -Positional Asphyxia Death Sample Report of Opinions of a Coroner's Office Summary Endnotes In-Custody Deaths What Would You Have Done? Example-Pathological Examination Gross Description Medical Treatment of Prisoners Best Practices Endnotes Emotionally Disturbed Persons What Would You Have Done? Best Practices Crises Intervention Teams Crime Scene and Forensic Evidence General Scene Procedure Crime Scene Investigation Preliminary Reconstruction Releasing the Scene Laboratory Analysis Cartridge Cases/Shells Weapon Examination Gunshot Residues Examination of Ricochet Bullets Bloodstain Pattern and Tissues Examination Reconstruction Endnotes Index