Law enforcement officers are the only government officials entrusted with the legal ability—and sometimes the duty—to exercise deadly force against members of our own populace with a split-second, judgement-based decision. But, with that power comes great responsibility to our citizens to ensure that any such use of force was justified and reasonable under the circumstances. Without transparency and thorough investigation, the relationships we have with our communities suffer and our legitimacy as a police agency is called into question. Not only will the involved officers’ actions be publicly scrutinized, but your investigation of those actions will be equally challenged if it is not professional, unbiased and fair to all parties involved. Public trust versus unrest, civil litigation, departmental reputation and the very freedom or incarceration of those involved hinge on the competency and thoroughness of the subsequent criminal and administrative investigations.

It is the purpose of this in-depth course to examine the investigative best practices for the modern world, providing a standardized and systematic approach to use-of-force investigations. An investigative model specific to use-of-force and officer-involved shooting incidents is presented, including example checklists, templates, forms, reports and policies that can be put to immediate use by your agency. The information presented is current and relevant to today’s technological advances and political climate, including instruction on the implications of social media; analysis of video recordings (body and dash cam, cell phone, surveillance, etc.); managing media and public relation concerns; legal considerations; crime scene processing and reconstruction; and the benefits of incorporating 3D scans and overhead drone footage to visually present the findings of your investigation to all interested parties in a manner more easily understood. At the conclusion of this training, attendees will be equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence necessary to appropriately investigate and document any use-of-force incident, including those resulting in serious bodily injury or death.