BehindBlueI's
Grandmaster
- Oct 3, 2012
- 26,608
- 113
Before you leave impd and run off to greener pastures with your dents and high milage, I want to make sure I understand... *In general* an officer is allowed to review bwc footage of his actions (force) before he writes a report explaining his actions? His own footage? Footage from other officers too?
It's not a gotcha question. I'm simply concerned that allowing what amounts to "video hindsight" also allows for reports that may be written in "hindsight".
Generally, yes. It's evidence and reviewing the evidence before writing a report or probable cause is to be expected, I would think. The report *should* include what you're calling hindsight. If I grab your wrist because I think you just pulled a knife from your pocket and it turns out to be a switchblade comb, I can justify my action based on my reasonable belief *but* my report should include that it turned out to be a comb. That's something I learned after the fact of the use of force, but still impacts the overall event, including if you pulled a weapon on me or not, right?
I suppose it's possible for an officer to see some threat on the BWC he didn't see in real time and then use it to justify what would have been a bad use of force mentally that was in reality reasonable? I think that'd be a pretty rare event though. I punched him because he was mouthy and I lost my temper...but wait, he was pulling something a weapon out at the exact time I did that? Just doesn't seem like a thing to me.
To get even deeper in the weeds, look up Force Science's studies on memory formation and why it's not advisable to give details of a high stress event immediately afterward. Especially things like how many shots were fired/punches thrown may not have "written" to long term memory yet until you've slept a time or two. The general citizenry has the right to not give a statement, and then do it through a lawyer, though it's advisable to give a higher level overview of the facts (that guy tried to rob me, I defended myself, he fled that way then collapsed, I think his gun slid under that truck, he was alone, that guy witnessed it, I will assist in anyway I can but due to the stress of this event I don't want to discuss this further at this time sort of statement). Police will be compelled to give a statement or risk termination. So, watching the video is a crutch to long term memory that's not yet firmly in the brain for access.