OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTINGS AND IN-CUSTODY DEATH INVESTIGATIONS

Course Description:

No critical incident will have a more profound impact on a department’s credibility and its relationship with the community than an Officer Involved Shooting or an incident that results in an In-Custody Death.  How these investigations are managed will be scrutinized by the public and the media and they will become the focal point of accountability.  A poorly handled investigation can have a ripple effect that can impact law enforcement officers and agencies nationwide. Whether your agency investigates their own Officer-Involved Shooting Cases and In-Custody Deaths or it utilizes an outside agency, knowing the best practices for how these investigations should be conducted is incredibly important.  Regardless of who conducts the investigation, their findings will influence the public’s relationship with the agency involved in a deadly-force encounter.  These complex events rely on consecutive and equal investigations into the criminal, administrative, and civil aspects of the event.  This training class will provide its participants with a deep understanding as to how all three of those aforementioned investigations should be conducted. As a sworn law enforcement officer, regardless of your assignment or rank, the potential to be involved in an Officer - Involved shooting is a constant possibility. Since these investigations will have a significant impact on both your professional and personal life, this training course should be mandatory!     

The instructors for this intense and interactive 24-hour course are seasoned homicide detectives Rick Sessions and Zack Scott, as well as the Chief of the Homicide Trial Unit at the Broward County State Attorney’s Office, Stephen Zaccor.  Together, they have investigated, analyzed and made recommendations on more than 100 officer-involved shootings and they have conducted numerous additional investigations involving in-custody deaths that took place both out in the field and inside of penal institutions.  The instructors will provide participants with the techniques and information necessary to investigate Officer-Involved Shooting Cases and In-Custody Death incidents.  Participants will be given the proven methods for analyzing, interpreting, and documenting the information and evidence gathered from the scene and witnesses to determine the events as they occurred.  The distinction between the “criminal” investigation and the “administrative” investigation will be explained and explored in detail.  We will also provide recommendations based upon the current best practices and lessons learned that will provide guidance for both types of investigations.  The instructors will discuss in great detail how to thoroughly investigate these incredibly unique and high-profile types of cases in a manner that complies with the law.   

In addition to receiving instruction from experienced law enforcement officers who have investigated dozens of Officer-Involved Shootings and In-Custody Deaths, participants will also spend a full day during this training class with a seasoned Homicide Prosecutor who regularly reviews and provides legal recommendations specifically on these types of cases.  Being able to spend a full 8 hour day with a seasoned prosecutor discussing real life Officer-Involved Shootings and In-Custody Death cases and being able to ask questions and receive unfiltered answers as to what to do and not do regarding these types of cases is invaluable to any law enforcement officer on the job today.  Participants will also receive instruction on how these investigations relate to the ever-present possibility of civil liability.  The attorney will discuss in depth how both Florida Law and Federal Law apply to these deadly force encounters.   

This course will cover the issues currently facing agencies in these types of investigations such as evolving case law, available technology, evidence collection and interpretation, witness and officer interviews, and communications and media strategies for the public. Throughout the course, studies of actual police shootings and in-custody deaths will be utilized to provide practical real-world instruction for investigations of a complex and emotionally charged event.  Participants will be presented with case scenarios in which they will provide their own investigative steps and strategies based on the material presented during the class, providing them with a hands-on experience. This course will provide insights into the goal of conducting an Officer-Involved Shooting Investigation and an In-Custody Death Investigation in a manner which is thorough, impartial and transparent.