NewsletterOctober 1, 2015
in this issue
Should Officers Review Video of their Encounters?
Fitness Tip
The Importance of Evaluating Consequences
Is Safety Killing Officers?

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Should Officers Review Video of their Encounters?
Memory and video are fallible; plan accordingly

By Chuck Remsberg, editor in chief, Force Science News

Reprinted from Calibre Press

Some months ago, officers responded to a single-car accident on a freeway in a major midwestern city. As they tried to tend to and question the driver, he became unruly and earned himself a Tasering. Later, he died. As customary in that jurisdiction, a state investigative agency took over the death investigation.

And that surfaced a nettlesome conflict.
As part of the report-writing process, the officers' department traditionally permits its personnel to view video from arrest scenes, and it saw no reason that the officers involved shouldn't see recordings of the Tasering before they were interviewed, to stimulate their memories of what occurred. The investigating agency, however, felt strongly that the videos from dash-cams and the Taser should not be seen prior to the officers giving their official statements, lest the viewing color their recollections.

Reports of the controversy motivated a consortium of agencies in Minnesota to probe more deeply into the question that departments large and small throughout the country potentially face: In a major use-of-force situation, which position best contributes to a fair, impartial, and comprehensive investigation?
~~~~~~~~~ A Message from our Sponsor ~~~~~~~~~ 

FORCE ENCOUNTERS ANALYSIS:

Understanding Human Performance during Critical Incidents

Force Encounters Analysis may be the most important LE educational course available today.  The findings delivered in this class have been directly credited with saving officer lives on the street, and preventing some officers from being unfairly convicted of criminal use of deadly force. 

You cannot afford to forego this training.

This is a practical and understandable course, based on unbiased scientific evidence pertaining to officer involved use of force (UOF). The primary goal of the program is to assist LE professionals in applying ground-breaking concepts revealed in force science research when engaging in force encounters, AND when investigating, reconstructing, recalling or otherwise analyzing a UOF incident. Coursework covers reactions times, perceptual distortions, narrowed vision, and memory gaps.
 
Topics include some of the most controversial force issues:
  • Why might statements conflict with forensic evidence? How perceptual distortions & stress-induced memory gaps impact accurate recall.
  • Why are suspects shot in the back by well-trained officers making valid decisions? Scientific facts on human performance help us better understand how long it takes an officer to react to a lethal threat.
  • Investigative techniques to assist in analyzing factors that are often overlooked in use of force investigations.
  • How to analyze vital elements of a controversial use of force that are often overlooked.
  • What ready position is really best for reducing reaction time in an armed encounter?
  • Why officers in high adrenalin confrontations continue to fire after the threat has ended.
  • Facts from tactical science speed studies and how quickly suspects can launch an attack, as opposed to an officer who must take the time to determine threat before a taking action.

**Attendees are also introduced to and provided a Media Kit created by CTI providing agencies an ability to "get out in front" of a critical use of force incident!**
  
Other Locations/Dates:
Concord, November 18-20
Marin County, CA, October 5-7
Redding, CA, December 2-4
San Diego, CA, October 5-7
Eureka, December 7-9
Fresno, October 12-14
Spokane, WA, January 19-21, 2016
San Mateo SO, San Mateo, October 26-28
Auburn, WA, January 27-29
Frisco, Texas, November 3-5
Anaheim, February 10-12, 2016    
 
Open-Enrollment Sessions are 24 hours/3 days, scheduled in CA, Texas, & WA.
Tuition rates:  From $277.00 to $325.00 depending on location.
 
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Fitness Tip 

 

 
Prepare your whole body for activity with dynamic warm-up exercises that occur in all planes of motion, such as those shown in this lunge series dynamic warm-up video.  
The Importance of Evaluating Consequences  
 
November -December 2014

(Please Note: If you wish to print and share an Investigator Tip with your colleagues, the John E. Reid 'credit and permission' statement following the article must be included.)

During the course of an investigation, and especially at the interview stage, there are a number of questions the investigator would like to answer about the suspect and the crime he may have committed: What was the suspect's motive for committing the crime? Did the suspect work alone or with others? Was the crime planned or spontaneous? One of these questions is, "What consequence does the suspect most fear and how flexible is that consequence in the suspect's mind?"

Why is an investigator interested in evaluating consequences? If the investigator can identify the consequences the suspect most fears, and how flexible that consequence is, this will suggest interrogation approaches to use and others to avoid. In short, information about consequences provides the investigator with insight that will greatly assist in learning the truth from a guilty suspect.
 
Is Safety Killing Officers?  
 
 
 
Trainers preach to officers to "never place yourself in a crossfire situation". Avoiding crossfire is sound tactical advice. What if however, the subject places the officers in a crossfire situation? Are the officers prepared to win that fight or are they going to hesitate because of training, or lack there of?In Lakewood, Washington the subject entered the coffee shop intent on killing four officers and created a crossfire situation. In Maryland, a bank robbery suspect leaves a bank with a gun to a hostages head and is challenged by a number of armed officers. When he slips on some ice the hostage runs away and the hostage taker runs into the group of armed officers creating a crossfire situation. An officer is fighting over his weapon with a subject who is attempting to disarm and kill him. Because they are in contact range the cover officer now finds herself in a crossfire situation. In each of these situations the subject's actions created the crossfire situation. The officers did not violate their tactical training and place themselves in this position. These situations often cause officers to hesitate as they have never been trained to shoot effectively at close range or when a crossfire situation exists. 
  


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