54010927.pdf

\n\n--- Page 1 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDER TITLE ACCREDITATION Death Investigations CALEA 55.2.6 PRIOR REVISIONS PROPONENT UNIT 12/01/98, 04/14/06, 12/08/08, 05/02/17, 03/20/19 Criminal Investigations Division (CID) ATTACHMENT: -U.S. Food and Drug Administration- Disposal of Unused Medicine Reference Guide NUMBER ISSUE DATE REVISION DATE TOTAL PAGES 40.4 07/01/98 06/07/23 7 I. PURPOSE: This Order provides a set of procedures for conducting death investigations for sworn department members. II. POLICY: To ensure that cases are properly classified and thoroughly investigated, the Department and its members shall initially investigate deaths as suspicious until reasonable evidence exists to exclude homicide. However, while doing so, the Department shall provide assistance to the family of the decedent and be compassionate and tactful so not to offend or adopt an accusatory tone with an innocent party or survivors. III. DEFINITIONS: A. Homicide: The killing of one person by another. B. Suicide: The act of taking one’s own life voluntarily and intentionally. C. Attended Death: An attended death is one in which the decedent was at a hospital being treated by a physician or was under the care of Hospice. D. Hospice Death: A category of an attended death in which a terminally ill person is under the care of a licensed hospice team, which provides supportive care (to include a physician). Hospice deaths do not have to be reported to law enforcement or to the Medical Examiner’s Office. IV. PROCEDURE: Whenever an incident under investigation by this department involves the death of an individual, a patrol officer will be assigned and a supervisor notified. A patrol supervisor shall then respond to the scene, and verify the facts of the investigation. A. Homicides/Suicides: 1. First-Aid: Unless doing so creates an unreasonable danger, call for medical personnel and administer first-aid when applicable. 2. Crime Scene: i. Clear the crime scene and immediate area of unauthorized persons. ii.Safeguard any evidence at the scene. iii. Leave the body in its original position whenever possible.\n\n--- Page 2 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT iv. Maintain a Crime Scene Access Log, and log the name of persons who enter the crime scene. 3. Investigations: i. Notify a supervisor. ii. Request a detective and forensics investigator. iii. Obtain names of medical personnel at the scene. iv. Conduct an initial investigation and complete an Incident/Investigation Report. v. Complete a Death Fact Sheet. 4. Hospital: If the member originally assigned the call is unable to immediately go to the hospital, another member should accompany the victim or be dispatched to the hospital to: i. Remain with the victim until relieved by a detective, supervisor, or the member originally assigned the call; ensure all the victim’s property or evidence of the crime is secured. ii. Obtain a victim statement or dying declaration, if applicable. 5. Collection of Evidence at Hospital: The member assigned to process the scene shall take possession of clothing or other evidence removed from the victim. B. Natural/Unattended Deaths: 1. If unable to verify the person is deceased, request medical personnel. 2. Notify a supervisor. 3. Examine the scene to ascertain if any evidence of a crime exists. If during the course of an investigation a member discovers that an apparent natural/unattended death is suspicious, the member shall treat the case as a homicide and proceed with the appropriate level of investigation. 4. Request an Evidence Technician or G-Unit for photographs. 5. Interview family, friends, and neighbors regarding any illness or injury that might have contributed to the death. Determine the last person who saw or spoke to the deceased person. 6. Contact the deceased’s physician to determine the probable cause of death. i. If the physician is willing to sign the Death Certificate, the body may be released to the funeral home of the family’s choice. Members shall not recommend a funeral home, but may use the Department’s funeral home call list if the family does not express a preference. 2\n\n--- Page 3 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT ii. If the physician cannot be contacted or will not sign the Death Certificate, the member shall inform a supervisor, the Medical Examiner, Forensics, and Detectives. 7. Identify and compile a list of medications known to be available to the deceased (look in medicine cabinets and waste cans). Provide an adult next-of- kin with information on how to properly destroy medications. Department members may refer to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration- Disposal of Unused Medicine reference guide website and/or phone number 855-543-2784. 8. Notify next-of-kin and assist the victim’s family with the Crisis Team or a Victim Advocate. 9. Provide the next-of-kin with the case report number, law enforcement officer contact information, Medical Examiner’s phone number, and information regarding Victim Services. 10. Complete a Death Fact Sheet. 11. Complete an Incident/Investigative Report. C. Accidental Deaths: 1. Request emergency medical personnel to verify death, and list the name of the person pronouncing death. 2. Notify supervisor, Forensic Crime Unit, and Criminal Investigations Division 3. Secure the scene (e.g., traffic and crowd control). 4. Request a traffic homicide investigator if death is due to a traffic crash. 5. Complete an Incident/Investigative Report or Traffic Crash Report. 6. Complete a Death Fact Sheet. 7. Notify next-of-kin. 8. Notify the Medical Examiner’s Office. D. Notification of Medical Examiner’s Office: 1. Criminal Homicide/Suicide: The assigned CID detective or Forensics investigator shall be responsible for notifying and requesting the Medical Examiner. 2. Natural/Unattended: When necessary, the on-scene supervisor shall be responsible for requesting and notifying the Medical Examiner's Office regarding the circumstances of the case. 3. Accidental Deaths: The on-scene supervisor shall be responsible for requesting and notifying the Medical Examiner's Office regarding the circumstances of the case. 4. Response/Transportation: The Medical Examiner’s Office shall decide whether to respond and transport or to use a funeral home to transport and store the body. 3\n\n--- Page 4 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT E. Death Fact Sheet: A Death Fact Sheet shall always be completed and accompany a body unless it is a Hospice or hospital situation. The white copy is forwarded to Records and the yellow copy accompanies the body. NOTE: anytime the ME’s Office take control of the body a death facts sheet must be completed, including when the victim is at the hospital. Include a list of medications for cases involving natural deaths or deaths that may be the result of any type of drug. F. Notification of Next-of-Kin: Members assigned to a death investigation shall ensure the next-of-kin are notified. [CALEA 55.2.6] 1. Responsibility: i. Gainesville Resident: If the next-of-kin reside in the Gainesville area, the notification should be made in-person by a Department member. ii. Non-Gainesville Resident: If the next-of-kin reside outside the Gainesville area, the Department member shall direct Communications personnel to send a teletype to the jurisdictional law enforcement agency and request the agency make an in-person notification. Members shall make telephone contact with personnel at the jurisdictional agency to ensure the message was delivered. iii. Delayed: The assigned member will inform the on-duty shift commander if the death notification cannot be made prior to the end of the shift. After receiving pertinent information, the on-duty shift commander shall, unless otherwise directed by Command Staff, ensure that the task is reassigned and that notification is made. 2. Method: Members issuing death notifications must be cognizant that anything and everything they say and do can have an impact on those receiving the n