Policy Text
KISSIMMEE POLICE DEPARTMENT
General Order 420
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420.01 Preliminary Investigation 420.05 Natural Deaths
420.02 Medical History 420.06 Security of Scene
420.03 Contacting the Medical Examiner 420.07 Personal Property
420.04 Hospice Care 420.08 Reporting
Policy: 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 appear to be initially. The thoroughness of death
investigations cannot be emphasized enough.
420.01 Preliminary Investigation: Officers shall call emergency medical services in all
suspected death cases unless the death is obvious (e.g., decapitated or decomposed). A
supervisor shall be notified in all death investigations.
Preservation of scene - If factors at a scene indicate the possibility a crime has occurred , the
scene shall be preserved by officers and/or supervis ors on scene until relieved by a detective .
Officers shall note the position of the body and/or any obvious trauma to the body when they
arrive on scene. They shall document whether or not this observation was before , or after any
emergency medical perso nnel may have attended to the deceased.
Officers shall note the Station number of any emergency medical personnel and/or the names of
personnel who may have pronounced the individual deceased.
Identification of deceased - Officers shall determine the ful l name of the deceased, their date of
birth, race and sex, driver’s license or identification card number, and their social security
number.
If witnesses on scene identified the deceased as well, their relationship shall be indicated in the
police inciden t report, and any witness statement provided.
If identification is not possible, the medical examiner may conduct a fingerprint comparison.
Additionally, some cases may require dental and/or DNA analysis.
Title: Natural Death Investigations
Effective Date: July 1, 2015 Revised Date: November 9, 2017
Review Authority : Patrol Division Captain Scope: All Employees
KISSIMMEE POLICE DEPARTMENT
General Order 420
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Witnesses - Officers shall identify all witnesse s on the scene, including relatives, neighbors,
caretakers, etc., who may determine:
a. Who – was the last person to see the d eceased ;
b. What – if anything, was the deceased doing;
c. When – was the last time the deceased was seen alive;
d. Where – was the last place the deceased was seen alive ; and
e. Why – the purpose the witness was observing/with the deceased.
420.02 Medical History : Officers may inquire of any healthcare workers or attending physician
of any medical problems the deceased may have been experiencing. If prescription drugs are
observed, the police report shall indicate:
a. The type of drug and its name;
b. Dosage of said drug;
c. Date of drug issued; and
d. Name of physician prescribing the drug.
420.03 Contacting the Medical Examiner : Florida Statutes lists the types of death for which
the Medical Examiner must accept jurisdiction:
a. Criminal violence;
b. Accident;
c. Suicide;
d. Suddenly, when in apparent good health;
e. Unattended by a practicing physician or other recognized practitioner;
f. While i n prison or penal institutio n;
g. While i n police custody;
h. Any suspicious or unusual circumstances;
i. Criminal abortion;
j. Poison ing;
k. Disease constituting a threat to public health;
l. Disease, injury, or toxic agent resulting from employment ; and/or
m. Unidentifiable bodies.
Regardless of whet her or not one of above conditions exists, the Medical Examiner’s Office shall
be contacted by the officer.
420.04 Hospice Care : In instances where the deceased has been under the care of hospice, an
attending physician shall have already signed paperwor k indicating the deceased shall not
receive resuscitation efforts and the body may be released to the respective funeral home.
This paperwork shall be presented to the officer, in the event the Department is calle d in error to
a scene. No report is requi red in these cases.
KISSIMMEE POLICE DEPARTMENT
General Order 420
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420.05 Natural Death s: When an officer arriv es to a scene of a natural death, they shall attempt
to contact the deceased’s doctor to determine whether or not they will sign the death certificate.
The doctor shall be briefed by the off icer as to the details of the case ; and if they agree to sign
the certificate, the officer shall note this in their report.
Afterward, the Medical Examiner’s Office shall be contacted by the investigating officer to make
them aware of the deceased informa tion, their attending physician’s information, and if the
physician agreed to sign the death certificate.
The officer may then release the body to the funeral home requested by the next of kin.
In the event there is no attending physician; or if the phy sician refuses to sign the death
certificate, the Medical Examiner’s Office on -duty investigator must be contacted by the officer.
Additionally, if the death falls within the types of requiring investigation, the Medical
Examiner’s Office shall be contacte d.
Nothing in this Order is intended to prevent the officer from contacting the Medical Examiner’s
Office for assistance. If the officer has concerns or questions, and needs to speak to the Medical
Examiner or the on call criminal investigations supervis or for assistance, the officer must first