G.O. 3.10 Officer Involved Shootings

General Information

• Policy Source: Norwich Police Department – General Order $3.10$, Section $3$, “Rules of Conduct.”
• Original Issue Date: $10/17/2019$ ; Reissue / Effective Date: same.
• Accreditation Standards Referenced: $\text{POSTC }1.14.5,\;2.4.11,\;3.4.20$.
• Rescinds: Prior “Officer-Involved Shooting Guidelines.”
• Applicability: Internal departmental governance only; violations trigger administrative (not civil / criminal) sanctions, while illegal acts remain subject to judicial proceedings.

Dual Statement of Purpose

• Purpose (I) – Establish thorough, professional, impartial investigative guidelines for:
  • Officer-involved shootings,
  • In-custody deaths,
  • Other serious uses of force (supplements General Order $3.05$ – “Reporting & Investigating Force”).
• Policy (II) – Department commits to ensuring conformity with:
  • Applicable law,
  • Departmental policies, procedures, rules, and training.
  • May extend to death while attempting to effect custody and any serious use of force.

Key Definitions

• Companion Officer – Peer-support or trusted officer assigned for emotional aid post-incident.
• Critical Incident – Violent, unusual, life-threatening event that overwhelms normal coping mechanisms.
• Critical Firearm Discharge – Any discharge by Norwich officer other than training/range/animal dispatch.
• Deadly Force – Physical force reasonably expected to cause death/serious injury.
• In-Custody Death – Death during custody or attempted custody.
• Involved Officer(s) – Sworn personnel who:
  • Discharge firearm in hostile or accidental circumstances,
  • Arrest (or attempt) an individual who later dies,
  • Engage in serious use of force,
  • Directly witness such events.
• Officer-Involved Shooting (OIS) – Any service-weapon discharge (hostile or accidental) on or off duty.
• Serious Use of Force – Action involving:
  • $\text{(1)}$ Deadly force (incl. all critical discharges),
  • $\text{(2)}$ Force causing serious physical injury.

Officer On-Scene Responsibilities (Section IV-A)

1. Neutralize remaining threats.
2. Secure & separate suspects.
3. Notify Communications Center (give exact location).
4. Broadcast info re: fleeing suspects; initiate containment.
5. Request supervisor, back-up, EMS, special resources.
6. Unless injured, remain on scene until relieved; supervisor may relocate officer if presence escalates hazard.
7. If injured, self-administer first aid if possible.
8. Provide first-aid to others until EMS arrives.
9. Secure firearms as evidence – do not open, reload, remove casings, or tamper.
10. Note time, scan area for witnesses, evidence, persons leaving.
11. Prior to supervisor arrival (time permitting):
    • Establish perimeter w/ crime-scene tape; admit only essential personnel.
    • Protect evidence from loss/alteration; document any moved items.
    • Identify & record witness details; request they remain for statements.

Initial Supervisor / Incident Commander (IC) Duties (Section IV-B)

• Rapid Actions:
  1. Respond immediately, assume IC, brief successors.
  2. Fulfill Level $3$ Use-of-Force requirements (per G.O. $3.05$) plus actions below.
• Public-Safety Statement:
  • Collect individually from each involved officer only info necessary for immediate safety/investigation:
    \begin{aligned}
    &a)\;\text{Type of force used}\
    &b)\;\text{Direction / approx. # of officer & suspect shots}\
    &c)\;#\text{ of suspects}\
    &d)\;\text{Location of injured}\
    &e)\;\text{Description / direction of at-large suspects \ &\; & + weapons & elapsed time}\
    &f)\;\text{Victim / witness locations}\
    &g)\;\text{Evidence description / location}\
    &h)\;\text{Any additional safety info}
    \end{aligned}
  • Template provided in Appendix A.
• Scene Control & Evidence:
  • Verify inner & outer perimeters; maintain Crime-Scene Security Log.
  • Secure officer weapons; replace service firearms ASAP.
  • Mark expended casings; locate suspect weapons & cartridges.
• Witness / Evidence Management:
  • Separate witnesses; obtain statements or contact details.
  • Secure clothing / items removed by medical staff.
  • Mark officer & suspect positions.
• Officer Welfare:
  • Separate involved officers; assign Companion Officer.
  • Prohibit discussion except with attorney, mental-health, or investigators.
  • If hospitalized, Companion Officer liaises with hospital & family; follows Death Notification policy if necessary.
  • Photograph officers (including injuries) on scene when feasible.
  • Offer Chaplain / peer support to family; manage media inquiries.
• Notifications (minimum list): Chief, Patrol Cmdr, CIU, Professional Standards Cmdr, Evidence Techs, PIO, Coroner/ME, Legal Advisor / Inspector, Chaplain / peer support / mental-health.
• Logistics:
  • Establish command post if extended investigation expected.
  • Assign recorder for chronological log.
  • Ensure video of scene & participants; seize in-car, ECW, CCTV footage.
  • Create media staging area beyond perimeter.
  • Ensure all reports completed; place shooting officers on mandatory leave per CBA.
  • Arrange mental-health appointment within $24$ hrs (Post-Shooting Support / CISM policies).

Treatment of Officer (Section C)

• Any deadly-force use causing death/serious injury ⇒ Immediate relieved-of-normal-duty status.
• Status is non-disciplinary; no loss of pay/benefits; may include administrative duties.
• Officer must remain available for statements; may return to duty post-preliminary investigation.
• Purpose: address emotional needs and reassure community of impartial review.
• If prelim. inquiry raises doubts re: officer action, apply statutory / contractual due-process guidelines.

Post-Shooting Trauma (Section D)

• All employees must know & follow Department’s Post-Shooting Emotional Trauma and Employee Mental-Health Services policies.
• Early stress-mitigation + sound investigative procedure = Best accuracy + wellness.

In-Custody Death Investigations (Section E)

Investigators gather comprehensive context:

1. Dispatcher Intel – Background noises, caller info on behavior, substances, weapons, mental health.
2. Officer Observations – Subject demeanor: calm/charged, rational/confused, communicative, hallucinations, perspiration, clothing, pain tolerance, length/intensity of struggle.
3. Collateral Info – Family/friend statements on alcohol/drug use, past police interactions, threats, weapon possession.
4. Pre-existing Injuries when officers arrived.
5. Officer Tactics – Talking down, distance maintenance, siren off, reassurance, buying time, simple questions, de-escalation orders, crowd control.
6. Need for Custody – Was arrest mandatory?
7. Time to Control – Protracted vs. rapid restraint.
8. Restraint Methods – Specific devices/techniques.
9. Subject Positioning Post-Arrest – Prone, seated, vehicle, etc.
10. Post-Arrest Behavior – Calmed vs. continued resistance.
11. EMS Activation Timing.
12. Monitoring After Arrest – Breathing, consciousness, response actions if unresponsive.
13. Pronouncement of Death & Autopsy Results.
14. Core Body Temperature as soon as possible after death confirmation.
15. Medical / Lifestyle History of subject.
16. If Survival but Serious Injury – Document injury nature, severity, consistency with force used.

Serious Injury Protocol (Section F)

• Mirrors Level $1$ Investigation (G.O. $3.05$) – collect data aiding supervisor’s force-level assessment:
  1. Subject conduct/behavior as perceived.
  2. Relative age/size/strength/officer physical ability.
  3. Officer experience.
  4. Number of officers.
  5. Alcohol/drug influence.
  6. Subject proximity to weapons.
  7. Weapons used/threatened by subject.
  8. Available force options.
  9. Seriousness of offense / prior info.

1. Potential injury risk to public/officer/subject.
2. Escape risk.
3. Degree of resistance.
4. Restraint use.
5. Any exigent circumstances.

Investigative Process (Section G)

$1$. Criminal Investigation

• Directed by State’s Attorney per CGS $51\text{-}277a$ when lethal force results in (or likely causes) death.
• State’s Attorney duties:
  1. Respond promptly and confer with incident-scene supervisor.
  2. Solicit appropriate agency assistance (e.g., CSP Major Crime Squad).
  3. Decide which agencies will: process scene, analyze evidence, reconstruct event.

$2$. Administrative Investigation

• Conducted by Internal Affairs Division – separate, independent, policy-focused.
• Walls of Separation:
  • Criminal investigators cannot attend IA interviews.
  • IA-gathered statements cannot be shared with criminal side.
• Interview Requirements:
  • Audio/video recorded.
  • Investigators mindful of PTSD symptoms (time/space distortion, sensory issues, emotion).
• Documentation:
  • Each officer completes individual Use-of-Force report.
  • On-scene supervisor files overall report attaching individuals; routed to Chief + State’s Attorney.

Chief of Police (or Designee) Responsibilities (Section H)

1. Respond & assume overall command.
2. Monitor for sound scene management; support thorough prelim investigation.
3. Assign command-level liaison to State’s Attorney.
4. Coordinate press releases with PIO & State’s Attorney – balance investigation integrity, personnel safety, transparency.
5. Ensure collection & federal reporting of all officer-involved shootings (fatal / non-fatal) & in-custody deaths.

Appendix A – Public Safety Statement (Quick-Fire Questions)

• Supervisor orders involved officer to answer immediately (representation may follow):
  1. “Were you involved in an OIS?”
  2. “Approx. how many rounds did you fire & in what direction?”
  3. “Did any other officers fire?”
  4. “Did suspect possibly fire at you?”
  5. “Is anyone injured? Where located?”
  6. “Any witnesses? Where?”
  7. “Approx. where were you when you fired?”
  8. “Outstanding suspects? Description/direction/mode of travel?”
  9. “How long gone? Crimes wanted for? Weapons?”

1. “Weapons/evidence needing security? Location?”

• After questioning, officer is ordered not to discuss incident (except with attorney, mental-health, or investigators).
• Supervisor secures identical Public Safety Statements from all substantially involved personnel before transport and remains on scene to relay data to investigators.

Ethical, Philosophical & Practical Implications

• Balances officer wellness (mandatory leave, mental-health support) with public trust (independent criminal review, administrative oversight, transparency).
• Segregation of criminal vs. administrative layers preserves constitutional protections (e.g., Garrity rights) while enabling policy accountability.
• Companion-Officer & peer-support structures institutionalize trauma-informed care, mitigating long-term psychological harm.
• Detailed evidence-preservation and witness-management protocols protect integrity of fact-finding, countering narrative disputes.
• Mandatory federal data reporting aligns with broader accountability initiatives and research on police-use-of-force trends.