RI LEO Official Manual: Criminal Investigation Overview

Question 1

When responding to a call officers should proceed safely to the scene and mentally note:

Answer 1

The route to the scene; suspicious activities while enroute; descriptions of people/vehicles observed leaving the crime scene and time of arrival at the scene.

Question 2

When arrival at a scene officers must deal with emergency situations, such as;

Answer 2

Remove the suspect from the scene as quickly as possible, If suspect fled get descriptions, directions, and veh. data. If a serious injured person at scene, must call for rescue and provide aid till help arrives. If a doa you must leave them exactly as they are found. Preservation is more important than ID’ing the body.

Question 3

The Medical Examiner must be notified immediately if death is by violence or unusual circumstances. What are the causes of death require a Medical Examiner investigation?

Answer 3

Death By external causes (homicide, suicide, accident, trauma, ect). Suspicious death. Death from in injury following an illness. Sudden death (someone in good health unsuspectingly). Death unattended by a physician. Prison death. And death by contagious disease.

Question 4

Officers are not to touch or move a dead body until ME arrives to the scene. Two exceptions to the rule are;

Answer 4

Any State Police member or superior officer of a local PD has the authority to order a removal of a dead body if it is from natural causes or death result of a highway accident. (ME still must be notified for accidents so they can view the body at another time)

Question 5

If the ME orders an autopsy, the investigating officer must collect;

Answer 5

all personal items on the decedent’s body and bring them to the ME. Items that are evidence in the cause of death (suicide notes) must be retained by the ME.