The two biggest mistakes officers make in approaching depositions in civil lawsuits are: Equating the experience with the familiar process of testifying as a prosecution witness in a criminal case, and Deciding to “wing it” instead of taking the time and effort to understand and prepare for the “unfamiliar and decidedly hostile” arcane world of...Read More
Note: The staff at the Force Science Institute of late has noticed “a definite uptick” in the number of inquiries being received regarding shooting at moving vehicles, according to operations vice president Scott Buhrmaster. From their various field locations, some Force Science instructors are reporting a similar increase as well. FSI is in the preliminary...Read More
“Looming” looms large in review board decision The young suspect behind the wheel of the stolen Saturn tried his best to lose the two city detectives in hot pursuit behind him, but not only did he fail to get away, he got shot in the process. And that caused a potential problem as the officers...Read More
Experiments mirroring a real-world case that resulted in an officer going to prison for perjury have confirmed that a trick of the mind called inattentional blindness—the failure to see something important that is clearly within your field of view—can occur under stressful circumstances on the street. The officer’s conviction was described in detail in a...Read More
At the latest ILEETA training conference, Rick Rosenthal, a veteran TV news anchor who’s now a law enforcement consultant, delivered some mixed metaphors you might find comforting as you contemplate the possibility of an OIS in your jurisdiction and the publicity firestorm that may well ignite in its aftermath. The media are not the bone-crushing,...Read More
Last November, the Civil Rights Division of the US DOJ sent a 9-page “technical assistance” document to the mayor of Seattle, emphatically recommending certain changes in how the city’s police department investigates officer-involved shootings. This communiqué is part of an ongoing federal scrutiny of the PD, underway for nearly a year, to “ensure compliance with...Read More
In a unique production assisted by the Force Science Institute, law enforcement authorities in an Oregon county have created an online video that explains to civilians the realities of officer-involved shootings and counters prevalent myths fostered by Hollywood fantasies. In 17 minutes, the program ranges from addressing why officers don’t try to shoot knives out...Read More
The dominant goal of citizen police academy programs is to get civilians to walk a mile in an officer’s boots. Thanks to the creativity of Force Science Analyst Steven Goard, those who attend the academy conducted by the Livermore (CA) PD walk an important extra mile—through the landmines of a simulated OIS investigation that tests...Read More
A “national snapshot” of in-service firearms training for municipal and county LEOs raises grave “concerns about how prepared many police officers are” for winning life-threatening encounters, according to a new report from a respected university researcher. The report also highlights post-shooting practices in many agencies that are hampering trainers’ efforts to improve their programs. After...Read More
The jury didn’t believe the Boston cop. During a foot pursuit by multiple officers of multiple suspects in a shooting, he’d run right past a spot where fellow LEOs were mercilessly beating a black man, but he swore he hadn’t seen a thing, didn’t even know the other officers or their victim were there. The...Read More
