Level Of Investigation Report

Each year law enforcement officers throughout the county are involved in shootings, some of them fatal. Frequently the shootings are reported by the media, which exploits the feelings of the victim while ignoring the effect of the shooting on the police officer. It is “estimated that approximately 87 percent of all emergency service personnel will experience a critical incident at least once in their career, which include officer-involved shootings” (Kureczka, 2002, p. 18). Officer-involved shootings have a profound effect on not only the officer involved but also their spouses, families, and the departments they serve. Law enforcement officers that are involved in officer-involved shootings need support and assistance such as critical incident stress debriefing and sometimes long-term trauma recover therapy in order to cope and live successful lives beyond the critical incident of the shooting.

Police officers charged in fatal shootings while on duty: 54 cases in the past decade. (n.d.). Retrieved September 07, 2016, from

By now the crime scene has been labeled a homicide and detectives have been dispatched to the scene. When the detectives arrive the lead officer will then provide a detailed crime scene briefing to the detective in charge of the scene. This briefing will be the only opportunity for the detective to receive the initial aspects of the crime scene prior to subsequent investigation. Since the crime scene and any/all evidence collected are the key factors in making a case, the crime scene must be documented as soon as possible including, appearance and condition of the scene upon arrival, lights on/off, shades up/down, doors, windows open/closed, any unusual smells, ice, liquids, weather conditions, temperature, and any personal items that may have been left behind. Once the lead detective has been briefed and evaluates the scene him/herself, he/she will then need to determine if consent to search and/or obtaining a search warrant is needed. The scene assessment allows the lead detective

Now that we have established what deadly force is and what the law states, let’s move on to the investigation that ensues after the fact. Let’s look into how the investigative process works for this type of incident and how the public views the use of deadly force. The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin outlines six investigative elements in a case of deadly force; The Investigators, The Crime Scene, The Involved Officers, The Civilian Witnesses, The Criminal Justice Authorities and The Media. All of these play a pivotal role in deciphering a particular case of deadly force. This process could take months or years to sort out. I will tell you about the steps of the process but keep in mind, that while the slow wheels of justice are turning, the officer is dealing with his emotions, his family’s response and most likely the public’s response due to the media coverage. Whatever the outcome, no doubt this will have an effect on the individual officer for the rest of their life.

From day to day it may be different but typical the homicide detective will be called to a investigation scene. First off when you get to the scene I will assess and manage the scene. This means examining the victim for clues. Next I will document the scene I would complete a walk through, making sure I do not disturb any evidence. Also making permanent record of the scene, it is important to do this before moving anything. After that I will photography or videotape the scene conducting a thorough search; make a rough sketch; dust for fingerprints; identify, document, and collect all fluids and fibers: and control evidence to maintain its integrity. Then canvass the area to locate witnesses. This step is critical because more homicides are solved by canvassing than any other method. Finally identify suspects, proper handling suspects leads to a successful prosecution. But remember that all suspects are still entitled to their rights C. The excitement of going to work each day and not knowing what is in store for you is very interesting. This job may be asking a lot even in an investigation but the adrenaline is very

This is important because clearing the scene of possible suspects and protecting the scene is safer and more effective with multiple law enforcement personnel present. The first responding officer needs to be looking for suspect vehicles as well as potential suspects as he or she approaches the general vicinity of the crime. The responding officer must also take notice of individuals acting suspicious or lingering at the crime scene. They could be witnesses or even suspects. Suspects in a homicide sometimes stay in the area to gain information on the initial investigation or intimidate witnesses. Another important fact to remember as the first responding officer is that most homicides are committed by acquaintances. It is tough to accept, but a friend or family member at the scene could be the perpetrator of the crime. (Lyman

It was a very tragic situation, an officer should always know who/what they are shooting at every time they pull the trigger. It is a hard story to read and the radio talk amongst the police is even worse. After the officers had fired their weapons, in the graphic footage from one of the officers body cams, you could hear the two officers talking. An officer can be heard in the footage

Upon D/CPL. Case’s arrival at the crime scene there is no documentation in the crime report that he had contact with the first responder, PFC Malcolm. The first responder should brief the primary investigator as it is the only opportunity for the next in command to obtain initial aspects of the crime scene prior to subsequent information (Technical Working Group on Crime Scene Investigation, 2000). Conversing with first responders is vital to providing information to substantiate investigative considerations and is a priority in any properly sanctioned investigative plan (Technical Working Group on Crime Scene Investigation, 2000). Prior to D/CPL. Case’s arrival, key pieces of evidence had already been collected despite the mild and clear weather conditions; the victim’s jacket and two neoprene skullcaps that had been tied together. D/CPL. Case was not able to conduct a walk-through of the crime scene with the individuals responsible for processing the scene because in the one hour and fifteen minutes it took D/CPL Case to

Once the boundaries to a crime scene has been set it is the duty of the first responder to begin a search to locate anything that may be harmful to any other person entering the scene or the crime scene itself. Locating all the risk factors can include many multiple aspects not just the obvious e.g. if the weather is bad the investigator must find a way to protect the scene from losing valuable information. If necessary outside personnel may be needed to control the scene for special circumstances including fires, or biohazardous material. Personal protective equipment is used to keep responders safe from an array of items that could cause bodily harm especially with the instances of blood, “Bloodborne pathogens don’t always die when a person

Next thing they have to do is to secure the crime scene. Officers have to scan

You record the facts. There isn’t any investigation, and you don’t make an arrest. Its something called Type 1which includes incident reports, missing persons, and many non-violent offenses. In most cases you will secure the facts from witnesses, victims, and suspects. It’s normally a great idea to write a separate paragraph for each person you talk to. In addition to recording the facts, as in the first example, you add your own investigation: Looking for footprints, fingerprints, the point of entry or exit, or other types of evidence.

“Reactive”. This meant that they did not have any patrol officers in that area. Patrol officers only

On April 05, 2016 at approximately 1518 hours, I was dispatch to 2004 Pine Street in reference to a death investigation. Upon my arrival, I met with Detective Campbell who was the lead Investigator at the scene. Detective Campbell stated that the victim neighbors reported a strong smell coming from the victim’s (Cortiz Lazarz) residence. The neighbors called 911 and Officer Volk was the first responded officer on scene. Defective Campbell and officer Volk stated that the victim located on the living room floor, fazing the south from the residence. Detective Campbell requested I process the scene for evidence and documentation.

The specialized personnel that I would need at the crime scene include a medical examiner, sketch artist, photographer, forensic scientist, fingerprint specialists and investigating officers. The responsibility of the medical examiner is to determine the cause of death, time of death, and take custody of the body (Fisher, 2004).

Knowing there going to send at least ten fire fighters and five paramedics. So only send in what is needed to provide help to the wounded clerk without all of the people stomping all over the evidence. The first res ponder must block off the area to keep the media and public out of the crime scene. Sometimes a double barrier for the extra safety is a good thing and filming the whole crime scene so nothing is missing in the case. It is always helpful to keep these guys on their toes and have sessions so they can keep learning better ways of keeping the crime scene safe. (Fisher,