600-20 Use of Force Reporting

Question 1

Long Form

Answer 1

Documentation collected by the Use of Force Data Collector that requires completion of all fields for submission, as established by the Office of Planning & Data Governance.

Question 2

Short Form.

Answer 2

Documentation collected by the Use of Force Data Collector that requires completion of fewer fields for submission than the Long Form, as established by the Office of Planning & Data Governance.

Question 3

Reportable Force (RF).

Answer 3

Force that requires specific notification and documentation.

Question 4

REPORTABLE FORCE

Reportable force does not include mere police presence, including the presence of a K-9, verbal commands, handcuffing or escorting without resistance, drawing or displaying a weapon without _____, or when an oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray device is _____.

Answer 4

1) pointing it at a person

2) pointed at a person

Question 5

REPORTABLE FORCE

Short Form

RF requiring the Short Form includes the use of any of the following:

a. Conducted energy device (CED) when _____

b. Soft-impact weapon or 40mm launcher when _____

c. Firearm when _____

d. Forced handcuffing (e.g., grabbing and pulling a resistant suspect’s hands, wrists, or arms when handcuffing) when _____

Answer 5

1) pointed at a person without being discharged.

2) pointed at a person without being discharged.

3) pointed at a person without being discharged.

4) there is no visible injury and no person loses consciousness or complains of bodily injury.

Question 6

Long Form (1/3)

RF requiring the Long Form includes, but is not limited to, the use of any of the following:

a. Forced handcuffing when _____.

b. _____ (e.g., shoving, pushing, pressure points, forcing arms from front to back, taking suspect to the ground, leg sweeps).

c. _____(e.g., punches, kicks, knee or elbow strikes).

d. Baton when _____.

e. OC spray when:
1. Intentionally sprayed in the direction of a person, _____.
2. Unintentionally sprayed, if _____.

Answer 6

1) there is visible injury or a person loses consciousness or complains of bodily injury

2) Empty hand tactics

3) Strikes

4) a person is struck

5) whether contact is made or not

6) it results in bodily injury to any person

Question 7

Long Form (2/3)

RF requiring the Long Form includes, but is not limited to, the use of any of the following:

f. Conducted energy device (CED) when:
1. Intentionally discharged and directed at a person, _____.
2. Used in a _____ manner.
3. Unintentionally discharged, if _____.

g. Soft-impact weapon or 40mm launcher when:
1. Intentionally discharged, except when _____
2. Unintentionally discharged, if _____.

h. Firearm when:
1. Intentionally discharged, except when _____
2. Unintentionally discharged, if _____.

Answer 7

1) whether contact is made or not

2) drive stun

3) it results in bodily injury to any person

4) the discharge is directed toward an animal and it does not result in bodily injury to any person.

5) it results in bodily injury to any person

6) the discharge is directed toward an animal and it does not result in bodily injury to any person.

7) it results in bodily injury to any person

Question 8

Long Form (3/3)

RF requiring the Long Form includes, but is not limited to, the use of any of the following:

i. ____ contact.

j. Interlocking by handcuffing the wrists and ankles together behind the back or by _____

k. _____ when used on a person.

I. Remote restraint device, if it _____.

Answer 8

1) K-9

2) wrapping the person within a device intended to immobilize the person (e.g., the WRAP).

3) Spit cover

4) results in bodily injury to any person

Question 9

ON-DUTY USE OF FORCE

Officer’s Responsibilities

(Note: RF is Reportable Force)

If RF occurs when the involved officer is on-duty, whether inside or outside the city of Houston, the involved officer shall immediately _____. The involved officer shall choose the best method of notifying an on-duty supervisor (e.g., via the dispatcher, radio, mobile computing device). If no on-duty supervisor assigned to the involved officer’s division is available, the involved officer shall notify the dispatcher. The dispatcher shall assign an on-duty supervisor as required by Section 4, Emergency Communications Division’s Responsibilities.

If the involved officer is unable to make immediate notification to an on-duty supervisor or dispatcher, the _____ shall make the notification.

If the involved officer is a supervisor, the involved officer shall _____.

Answer 9

1) notify an on-duty supervisor assigned to the involved officer’s division

2) most senior officer at the scene

3) notify a supervisor of equal or higher rank

Question 10

ON-DUTY USE OF FORCE

Officer’s Responsibilities

Reporting Requirements:

Each involved officer who uses RF shall do all of the following:

a. Complete an _____, as applicable.

b. Complete a Use of Force form, via the Use of Force Data Collector on the department’s Intranet Portal, for each _____

c. Thoroughly document the suspect’s actions and the officer’s response, unless _____

Answer 10

1) original or supplement incident report

2) person against whom the involved officer used RF.

3) instructed otherwise by Internal Affairs Division (IAD) and/or Homicide Division’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU).

(Note: RF is Reportable Force)

Question 11

ON-DUTY USE OF FORCE

Officer’s Responsibilities

Reporting Requirements:

The involved officer(s) shall complete the incident report, supplement report(s), and Use of Force form(s) prior to _____, including when IAD and/or SIU investigate the incident. If an involved officer is unable to complete this documentation, the involved officer shall _____.

Answer 11

1) the end of the shift

2) complete it as soon as they return to duty

Question 12

ON-DUTY USE OF FORCE

Officer’s Responsibilities

Incident Report: (1/3)

The primary involved officer shall write an incident report that contains the following information:

a. The name and employee numbers of:

1. _____ on the scene at any time during the RF incident.
2. The _____ who was notified and/or responded to the RF incident.
3. The _____ notified by the officer, if notification is required by Section 7, Booking Prisoners.

b. The unit number of _____, if applicable.

Answer 12

1) All employees

2) on-duty supervisor

3) Joint Processing Center Unit or Juvenile Intake Unit supervisor

4) responding medical personnel

Question 13

ON-DUTY USE OF FORCE

Officer’s Responsibilities

Incident Report: (2/3)

The primary involved officer shall write an incident report that contains the following information:

c. The involved officer’s force used and specific reason(s) for using RF. The documentation shall thoroughly explain _____. Officers shall include a detailed description of all actions taken by the officer and by the person against whom the force was used. When describing the suspect’s actions, the officer shall not _____. The officer shall include a detailed description of the suspect’s specific action(s) that led to the decision to use force (e.g., “the suspect attempted to punch and kick me, then pushed me and twisted away from my grasp”).

Answer 13

1) what force was used and why it was used

2) make conclusory statements (e.g., “the suspect was acting crazy,” “the suspect was resisting and combative,” or “the suspect made a furtive gesture”)

Question 14

ON-DUTY USE OF FORCE

Officer’s Responsibilities

Incident Report: (3/3)

The primary involved officer shall write an incident report that contains the following information:

d. The name of the person receiving RF, if known, and _____

e. The location on the person’s body of any known injury, even if _____

f. Any other pertinent information related to any_____.

Answer 14

1) the part of the person’s body receiving the RF.

2) the injury was not received as part of the incident.

3) offense committed

Question 15

ON-DUTY USE OF FORCE

Officer’s Responsibilities

Supplement Report:

Each involved officer shall write their own supplement to the primary officer’s original incident report. The supplement report shall include, but is not limited to:

a. The force used and _____

b. The name of the person receiving RF, if known, and _____.

Answer 15

1) specific reason(s) for using force as described above.

2) the part of the person’s body receiving the RF

Question 16

ON-DUTY USE OF FORCE

Officer’s Responsibilities

Use of Force Form:

The involved officer shall complete the incident or supplement report before _____

When entering the Use of Force form in the Use of Force Data Collector, the involved officer shall select the Short Form or Long Form as indicated in Section 1, Reportable Force. When completing the form, the involved officer shall select the _____

The involved officer shall include the specific reason(s) for using RF in the Use of Force form.

Answer 16

1) completing the Use of Force form in order to import information from the report.

2) notified on-duty supervisor, which will route the form to that supervisor for review.

Question 17

ON-DUTY USE OF FORCE

Officer’s Responsibilities

Delayed Report of Injury:

If a suspect’s injury is not apparent at the time of arrest and the arresting officer later discovers the injury, that officer shall immediately notify an on-duty supervisor. Furthermore, the officer shall…

Answer 17

complete a supplement detailing the delayed injury and the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the delayed report of injury.

Question 18

ON-DUTY USE OF FORCE

Supervisor’s Responsibilities

At all times, any notified or reviewing supervisor whose investigation reveals possible violations of department policy regarding use of force shall refer to General Order_____

Answer 18

200-03, Investigation of Employee Misconduct.

Question 19

ON-DUTY USE OF FORCE

Supervisor’s Responsibilities

Response Requirements:

Upon receiving notification of an RF incident, the notified on-duty supervisor shall respond and proceed immediately to the scene unless one of the following circumstances applies:

a. The RF requires the _____ only.

b. The RF involved _____ when there is no visible injury and no person loses consciousness or complains of bodily injury.

c. The _____ determines that an on-duty supervisor does not need to respond to a RF incident outside the city limits of Houston.

Answer 19

1) Short Form

2) empty hand tactics

3) Crime Analysis & Command Center Division (Command Center)

Question 20

ON-DUTY USE OF FORCE

Supervisor’s Responsibilities

Notification Responsibilities:

The responding supervisor shall immediately contact the Command Center when any of the following RF occurs:

a. A _____ is discharged.

b. A ____ is discharged.

c. A person sustains _____

d. A person is _____

e. The RF occurred _____

Answer 20

1) firearm, soft-impact weapon, or 40 mm launcher

2) CED

3) serious bodily injury.

4) sprayed with OC

5) outside the city limits of Houston.

Question 21

ON-DUTY USE OF FORCE

Supervisor’s Responsibilities

Documentation:

If the RF requires only the Short Form, no supervisory review or documentation is required. The notified supervisor shall do all of the following if the RF requires the Long Form:

a. Complete a _____, if required by General Order 200-10, Emergency Management, as soon as possible.

b. Review each involved officer’s incident and/or supplement report within _____ days.

c. Review all applicable Use of Force forms and body worn camera (BWC) videos within _____

d. Complete a supplement to the original incident report within _____

If the BWC video is not available within _____ days of the RF incident due to a technical delay, the notified supervisor shall notify the shift commander of the delay and check each subsequent workday to determine if the BWC video is available.

Answer 21

1) Significant Event Notification

2) five calendar

3) five calendar days after the BWC video is available.

4) five calendar days after the BWC video is available.

5) five calendar

Question 22

ON-DUTY USE OF FORCE

Supervisor’s Responsibilities

Details in the Supplemental Incident Report

The supervisor’s supplement shall include whether or not the suspect sustained any visible injuries, a description of such injuries, injuries complained of by the suspect that are not visible, whether or not the suspect refused medical transport, and any other relevant information, including _____. The supervisor’s supplement shall confirm that _____

In addition to the above specifications, supervisors shall also comply with further documentation requirements contained in General Orders 400-26, Conducted Energy Devices, 400-31, Remote Restraint Device, and 600-18, Firearm, Soft-Impact Weapon, and 40MM Launcher Discharges.

Answer 22

1) whether the suspect had pre-existing injuries

2) the supervisor completed all required supervisory reviews.

Question 23

ON-DUTY USE OF FORCE

Supervisor’s Responsibilities

Use of Force Review

When reviewing the Use of Force form, the notified supervisor shall indicate whether the officer had a BWC and select one of the following options as appropriate:

a. No Violations Noted. The supervisor shall summarize the officer’s actions and state that _____

b. Violations Noted. The supervisor shall make only the following comment: “The incident is being investigated to determine compliance with department policy.” The supervisor shall _____

The notified supervisor shall then submit the Use of Force form to the shift commander. The shift commander shall review all applicable Use of Force forms, BWC videos, reports, and supplements. The shift commander shall include comments referencing the time on the BWC video for each use of RF and a statement approving or rejecting the supervisor’s findings. The shift commander shall submit the Use of Force form to the _____for final approval or rejection.

Answer 23

1) the officer’s actions did not violate policy.

2) make the notifications required by General Order 200-03, Investigation of Employee Misconduct, if the supervisor selects this option.

3) division commander

Question 24

OFF-DUTY USE OF FORCE

Extra Employment

If an officer uses RF during extra employment within the city limits of Houston, the involved officer shall complete all notifications and documentation required by Section 2, On-Duty Use of Force.

If an officer uses RF during extra employment while outside the city limits of Houston, the involved officer shall immediately _____. The involved officer shall complete all documentation required by Section 2, On-Duty Use of Force. The involved officer shall obtain a copy of any report generated from the investigation, if any, and write a letter explaining the use of force incident through the chain of command to the involved officer’s commander unless_____. The involved officer shall verify with a classified supervisor in the Command Center whether an _____.

Answer 24

1) notify the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction and the Command Center

2) the incident is investigated by IAD

3) on-duty supervisor will respond to the scene

Question 25

OFF-DUTY USE OF FORCE

Extra Employment

In addition to the exceptions to an on-duty response contained in Section 2, On-Duty Use of Force, an on-duty supervisor is not required to respond if all of the following circumstances apply, whether inside or outside the city limits of Houston:

a. The involved officer was _____ at the time of the RF.

b. The involved officer did not _____

c. An HPD supervisor who did not use RF is _____.

d. The RF did not result in _____.

e. The involved officer reported the use of force to _____.

In such cases, the supervisor working extra employment at the location shall complete all review and documentation required of the on-duty notified supervisor by Section 2, On-Duty Use of Force.

If the above exception does not apply, the notified on-duty supervisor shall complete all review and documentation required by Section 2, On-Duty Use of Force.

Answer 25

1) working extra employment

2) discharge a firearm, soft-impact weapon, or 40mm launcher.

3) working extra employment at the same location

4) serious bodily injury to any person

5) that supervisor immediately

Question 26

OFF-DUTY USE OF FORCE

Extra Employment

Whether inside or outside the city limits of Houston, the involved officer shall also notify an on-duty supervisor at the division where the involved officer is assigned at the _____

Answer 26

earliest time during the operational hours of the involved officer’s division when a supervisor is on duty.

Question 27

OFF-DUTY USE OF FORCE

Not Working Extra Employment

If an RF incident occurs inside the city limits of Houston when the involved officer is off duty and not working extra employment, the involved officer shall immediately _____. The officer shall complete the documentation requirements required by Section 2, On-Duty Use of Force. The notified on-duty supervisor shall complete all review and documentation required by Section 2, On-Duty Use of Force.

Answer 27

notify the ECD dispatcher and the Command Center

Question 28

OFF-DUTY USE OF FORCE

Not Working Extra Employment

If an officer uses RF while off-duty and not working extra employment, while outside the city limits f Houston, the involved officer shall immediately _____. The officer shall complete the documentation requirements required by Section 2, On-Duty Use of Force. The involved officer shall obtain a copy of any report generated from the investigation, if any, and _____, unless the incident is investigated by IAD. The notified on-duty supervisor shall complete all review and documentation required by Section 2, On-Duty Use of Force.

Answer 28

1) notify the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction and the Command Center

2) write a letter explaining the use of force incident through the chain of command to the involved officer’s commander

Question 29

OFF-DUTY USE OF FORCE

Not Working Extra Employment

Whether inside or outside the city limits of Houston, the involved officer shall also notify an on-duty supervisor at the division where the involved officer is assigned at the…

Answer 29

earliest time during the operational hours of the involved officer’s division when a supervisor is on duty.

Question 30

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION’S RESPONSIBILITIES

Notification to an On-Duty Supervisor

Upon receiving notification of an RF incident occurring inside the city limits of Houston, the ECD dispatcher shall immediately verify that an _____ has been notified.

If no supervisor from the involved officer’s division is on duty, the dispatcher shall notify an _____

Answer 30

1) on-duty supervisor assigned to the involved officer’s division

2) on-duty supervisor assigned to the patrol division where the RF incident occurred.

Question 31

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION’S RESPONSIBILITIES

Notification to the Command Center

The ECD dispatcher shall confirm that the _____ completes the notifications required by Section 2, On-Duty Use of Force. If the RF occurred outside the city limits of Houston when the involved officer was on duty, the dispatcher shall immediately notify an ECD supervisor, who shall immediately _____

Answer 31

1) notified on-duty supervisor

2) notify the Command Center.

Question 32

COMMAND CENTER’S RESPONSIBILITIES

Notification to Homicide Division and Internal Affairs Division

The Command Center shall immediately notify SIU and IAD of an RF incident when_____. Additionally, the Command Center shall follow notification procedures in General Order 600-18, Firearm, Soft-Impact Weapon, and 40mm Launcher Discharges.

IAD shall investigate all RF incidents involving _____

Answer 32

1) a person sustains serious bodily injury or death

2) serious bodily injury to any person.

Question 33

COMMAND CENTER’S RESPONSIBILITIES

Notification to an On-Duty Supervisor

Upon notification of an RF incident inside the city limits of Houston, a _____ shall confirm that an on-duty supervisor has responded or will respond, if required by this General Order, and notify the involved officer whether an on-duty supervisor will make the scene if necessary.

If the RF incident occurred outside the city limits of Houston, the Command Center supervisor shall determine whether an on-duty supervisor is required to make the scene, after giving consideration to_____. The classified supervisor in the Command Center shall inform the involved officer whether an on-duty supervisor will respond to the scene.

Answer 33

1) Command Center classified supervisor

2) the proximity of the RF incident to the city of Houston and the severity of the injury

Question 34

USE OF FORCE MANAGEMENT REPORTS

Use of Force Management Reports, located within the Use of Force Data Collector, provide supervisors the ability to view a compilation of RF data and the approval status of the Use of Force forms. Supervisors shall regularly _____ that is provided in the Use of Force Management Reports.

Additionally, on a monthly basis at minimum, _____ shall review the compilation of RF data in the Use of Force Management Reports concerning their assigned division and review the approval status of Use of Force forms.

Answer 34

1) review information concerning their subordinates

2) division commanders

Question 35

BOOKING PRISONERS

Officers shall notify _____ before booking a prisoner who has been struck, hit, or sprayed by any weapon, subjected to any other form of force causing bodily injury, or against whom a spit cover or interlocking device was used. Such prisoners shall not be booked into any jail unless approved by that supervisor.

Officers shall notify _____ before booking a juvenile prisoner against whom any RF was used.

Answer 35

1) an on-duty HPD Joint Processing Center Unit supervisor at the Joint Processing Center

2) an on-duty Juvenile Intake Unit supervisor

Question 36

USE OF FORCE BY CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES

Civilian employees are not authorized to use force for law enforcement purposes. If a civilian employee is required by the circumstances to use force while on duty for their protection or the protection of a third party, the civilian shall notify _____.

If no on-duty classified supervisor assigned to the civilian employee’s division is available, the civilian employee shall notify the Command Center. The Command Center shall assign _____ to respond to the scene. The notified supervisor shall document the incident in an incident report.

Answer 36

1) an on-duty classified supervisor assigned to their own division.

2) an on-duty classified supervisor