NCJ Number
178746
Date Published
1998
Length
38 pages
Annotation
This booklet is intended as a reference guide for use by police officers and police supervisors when asked to manage a critical incident of incident involving police use of force, to conduct a thorough preliminary investigation, and to document all the facts and circumstances in an incident.
Abstract
A supervisor's checklist lists the crucial elements that help define whether the use of force is reasonable under the circumstances and emphasizes the need to determine the who, what, where, when, how, and why of an incident to prove or disprove whether a crime was committed, who committed it, and if an officer's actions were reasonable and lawful. The guidelines emphasize that the supervisor's primary consideration should be the emotional and physical well-being of the law enforcement officers involved in a critical incident or incident involving significant use of force, especially during the administrative phase of the investigation. Issues to consider in a use-of-force case include whether the officer was acting within the scope of employment, the severity of the crime, the level of force used, the warnings issued, the nature of the crime, the officer's state of mind, medical care provided, evidence collection, details of the incident, and case scene management. Appended provisions of the California Peace Officers' Bill of Rights and glossary