Policy Text
Policy
343Fremont Police Department
Death Investigation
343.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE
The investigations of cases involving death include those ranging from natural cause to homicide.
Some causes of death may not be readily apparent and some cases differ substantially from what
they appeared to be initially. The thoroughness of death investigations cannot be emphasized
enough.
343.2 INVESTIGATION CONSIDERATIONS
Emergency medical services shall be called in all suspected death cases unless the death is
obvious (e.g., decapitated, decomposed).
A supervisor shall be notified as soon as possible to assist and provide appropriate personnel
and resources. The on-scene supervisor should determine whether follow-up investigation is
required and notify the Crimes Against Persons Detective Sergeant or designee as necessary.
The Watch Commander will make notification to command staff in accordance with the Major
Incident Notification Policy.
343.2.1 CORONER REQUEST
Government Code § 27491 and Health and Safety Code § 102850 direct the Coroner to inquire
into and determine the circumstances, manner, and cause of certain deaths. The Coroner shall
be called in any of the following cases:
(a)Unattended deaths (No physician in attendance or during the continued absence of
the attending physician. This also includes all deaths outside hospitals and nursing
care facilities.)
(b)Deaths where the deceased has not been attended by either a physician or a
registered nurse who is a member of a hospice care interdisciplinary team, as defined
by Health and Safety Code § 1746, in the 20 days prior to death
(c)Deaths where the physician is unable to state the cause of death. Unwillingness does
not apply. This includes all sudden, unexpected, and unusual deaths, and fetal deaths
when the underlying cause is unknown.
(d)Known or suspected homicide
(e)Known or suspected suicide (including suicide where the deceased has a history of
being victimized by domestic violence)
(f)Deaths involving any criminal action or suspicion of a criminal act. This includes child
and dependent adult negligence and abuse.
(g)Deaths related to or following known or suspected self-induced or criminal abortion
(h)Deaths associated with a known or alleged rape or crime against nature
(i)Deaths following an accident or injury (primary or contributory). This includes deaths
known or suspected as resulting (in whole or in part) from or related to accident or
injury, either old or recent.
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(j)Deaths from drowning, fire, hanging, gunshot, stabbing, cutting, starvation, exposure,
alcoholism, drug addiction, strangulation, or aspiration
(k)Deaths from accidental poisoning (e.g., food, chemical, drug, therapeutic agents)
(l)Deaths from occupational diseases or occupational hazards
(m)Deaths from known or suspected contagious disease and constituting a public hazard
(n)All deaths in operating rooms and all deaths where a patient has not fully recovered
from an anesthetic, whether in surgery, recovery room, or elsewhere
(o)Deaths that occur in prison or while under sentence. This includes all in-custody and
police-involved deaths.
(p)All deaths of unidentified persons
(q)All deaths of state hospital patients
(r)Suspected Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) deaths
(s)All deaths where the patient is comatose throughout the period of the physician's
attendance. This includes patients that are admitted to hospitals unresponsive and
expire without regaining consciousness.
The body shall not be disturbed or moved from the position or place of death without permission
of the Coroner.
343.2.2 SEARCHING DEAD BODIES
(a)The Coroner or a designee is generally the only person permitted to search a body
known to be dead from any of the circumstances set forth in Government Code §
27491. The only exception is that an officer is permitted to search the body of a person
killed in a traffic collision for the limited purpose of locating an anatomical donor card.
If such a donor card is located, the Coroner or a designee shall be promptly notified
(Government Code § 27491.3).
(b)The Coroner, with the permission of the Department, may take property, objects, or
articles found on the deceased or in the immediate vicinity of the deceased that may
be necessary for conducting an investigation to determine the identity of the deceased
or the cause or manner of death (Government Code § 27491.3).
(c)Should exigent circumstances indicate to an officer that any other search of a
known dead body is warranted prior to the arrival of the Coroner or a designee, the
investigating officer should first obtain verbal consent from the Coroner or a designee
(Government Code § 27491.2).
(d)Whenever reasonably possible, a witness, preferably a relative to the deceased or
a member of the household, should be requested to remain nearby the scene and
available to the officer pending the arrival of the Coroner or a designee. The name
and address of this person shall be included in the narrative of the death report.
(e)Whenever personal effects are removed from the body of the deceased by the Coroner
or a designee, a receipt shall be obtained. This receipt shall be attached to the death
report.
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Death Investigation
343.2.3 REPORTING
All incidents involving a death shall be documented on the appropriate form.