WHY DIDN'T THE OFFICER JUST WOUND HIM?

I hear that nearly every time a law enforcement officer has to shoot someone in an armed confrontation.  Why couldn't the cop shoot him in the arm or the leg?  Why did he have to kill the guy? they ask.

That the question is even asked shows a misconception of the use of deadly force by the police.  Pulling the trigger is such a grave undertaking that most officers go their entire careers without doing it.  In 36 years on the job, I've done it once--shooting at the tire of an armed robber who ran over one of our officers.  I missed.  Police officers are not trained to "shoot to kill" nor to "shoot to wound."  We shoot to stop the threat, a threat we believe will imminently result in the loss of life or serious bodily injury if not stopped. 

 

Evidence of an rampaging attack that killed three officers and
 one civilian and wounded three other officers.

There is no place on the body that a gunshot does not have the potential of causing immediate death.  I've seen guys shot in the leg bleed out and die in less than a minute. I recall a South Carolina state trooper who was shot on a traffic stop.  The bullet hit him in

ANOTHER SATISFIED CLIENT!

Read what one of our recent clients had to say about our critiquing service.  We analyzed Danielle's mystery novel for accuracy in police procedures and realistic 'copspeak' as well as performing some light editing.  We wish her the best:

I recently had the pleasure of working with Wesley Harris on my first mystery novel, The Protector, which will be published in 2014. Wes assisted me with proper police procedure and investigation. He made suggestions on how to fix my mistakes. That’s exactly what I needed and wanted! My book is more accurate because of his help. I feel more confident about what my detectives and uniformed officers are doing and saying. Wes explained legal terms often used by law enforcement, so that I used them correctly. I look forward to working with him on my future novels.

--Danielle Davis, first-time novelist

BRINGING IN YOUR CHARACTER FOR QUESTIONING

In one of our last posts, we described the difference between 'interview' and 'interrogation.'  That prompted some questions from readers about how the police bring in people for questioning.  "Can a person refuse to go?" one writer asked.  "How much proof or probable cause is needed to bring someone in for questioning?" another one asked.

One of the most quoted lines in the classic movie Casablanca occurs when a police official orders his men to "round up the usual suspects." The unspoken inference is that officers will pull in numerous known and suspected criminals for some intense interrogation that will identify the culprit.

If it was only that easy.

No one, even suspects, can be taken to the station forcibly unless they are under arrest.  An arrest requires “probable cause” to believe a person committed a crime.  The idea that police can take anyone they need to question to their office involuntarily is a fallacy.

Even prisoners under arrest have a right to remain silent. Thus, it’s apparent that witnesses, “persons of interest,” and suspects can’t be compelled to answer questions.

Unlike what you see on TV, suspect are never questioned in the presence of their

INTERVIEW OR INTERROGATION?

       Writers often use the terms “interview” and “interrogation” interchangeably.  The differences are significant, however.
     The interview is strictly to obtain information. It’s the standard Q-and-A session between an officer and a witness or a victim.  It might be conducted in a home, on the street, in a detective’s office, or in an interview room. Sometimes it is recorded but often the officer simply takes notes.
     The interrogation is conducted to elicit a confession from a suspect.  Usually it occurs in an interrogation room at the police station or a similar room at the jail.  It is an “adversarial” conversation with the goal of obtaining a confession.  Psychological pressure and “strategic deception” are used by interrogators to move the suspect to confess.
     A small police station may not have an interrogation room.  A detective might question suspects in his or her office, although this is not the ideal arrangement. Too many distractions, too many items the suspect can pick up and use as a weapon.
     Interrogations should be recorded, preferably audio and video. A common tactic of defense attorneys is to attempt to suppress any confession.  A recording shows the suspect was not under duress when he confessed.
     Most officers don’t wear their weapons into an interrogation room. The firearm is secured in another location, perhaps in a gun locker designed for that purpose or locked in a file cabinet.
   

INTERVIEW TODAY ON SLEUTHS & SUSPECTS

Check out my interview on the Sleuths & Suspects blog and learn more about my work to help writers writecrimeright.

http://sleuthsandsuspects.blogspot.com/2013/09/interview-and-giveaway-with-law.html?showComment=1378993251093#c4509219552485468755

RESEARCHING YOUR CHARACTERS

How do you prepare to write about your characters?  How much research is enough? Authors who do their homework can give their characters the authenticity readers want. Heidi Glick, author of Dog Tags, wrote recently about her steps to research the main character in her current work in progress.  Writecrimeright.com is one of her sources for information.

You can read Heidi's excellent tips here: 
http://queencityquill.blogspot.com/2013/08/viewing-world-through-eyes-of-your-mc.html

PARTNERS

I've gotten questions lately about whether all police officers and detectives have partners. Actually, most patrol officers and detectives do not have partners despite what you see on TV. A few very large cities are able to partner some of their officers but most law enforcement agencies simply can not afford to do so. It's terribly expensive to add an additional officer to a patrol car, not to mention a very inefficient usage of available staffing.  

Research shows that a two-officer car is not much safer than one-officer cars.  The thought is that an officer alone realizes he or she has to watch out for danger and operates at a heightened state of vigilance. With two officers, it's possible each thinks the other is watching out and thus drops his or her guard. I don't know if that's true but as a former police chief, I know most agencies can not afford to staff two officers to a car or pair up detectives.  It is not economical and it's not as effective.  Two detectives following one another around aren't going to accomplish as much as each working his or her individual cases.  Two patrol officers in two cars can cover more ground and deter and detect more criminal activity.

That doesn't mean that detectives don't often pair up to go out into the field looking for suspects or witnesses.  But they usually aren't "partners" like you see on TV and in movies (Lethal Weapon, Starsky & Hutch, Cagney & Lacey) where detectives almost always have a constant companion.  Most detective work takes place behind a desk. When detectives need to go out and need backup, they grab whoever is available to be "partner for the day."