go-38.pdf

\n\n--- Page 1 ---\n\nTALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDERS MANUAL SUBJECT Natural Death Investigations CHIEF OF POLICE Signature on File Proudly Policing Since 1841 Nationally Accredited 1986 NUMBER ISSUE DATE REVISON DATE TOTAL PAGES 38 10/15/2001 07/01/2024 8 AUTHORITY/RELATED REFERENCES General Order 18, Criminal Investigations General Order 37, Notification of Death or Serious Injury General Order 42, Impounding and Controlling of Property and Evidence ACCREDITATION REFERENCES CALEA Chapter 41, 81 KEY WORD INDEX Disposition of Property: Procedure I D District Supervisory Responsibilities: Procedure II Natural Death Investigation Protocols: Procedure I Medical Examiner – Autopsy: Procedure II C 2 b 1, IV D Medical Examiner – External Exam: Procedure II C 2 b 2 Medical Examiner – Notification: Procedure II C 2 Notification of Next of Kin: Procedure III Removal of the Body: Procedure IV POLICY Members of the Tallahassee Police Department who are responsible for natural death investigations shall adhere to established protocols in the course of such investigations. DEFINITIONS Natural Death (Investigation): Solely for the purpose of this policy, a death (investigation) where the available evidence leads the member(s) present to conclude the death is not of a criminal, intentional, accidental, or suspicious\n\n--- Page 2 ---\n\nTALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT nature, and the incident is not related to: 1) a traffic crash, 2) a hospice care situation, or 3) a situation where the person was receiving medical treatment at a local hospital under a doctor’s care. Lividity: Discoloration from venous (vein) congestion in a deceased body that may present itself as black or blue on the skin. Rigor Mortis: Stiffening of a deceased body caused by the hardening of muscle tissue. Trauma: A wound or injury to living tissue caused by an extrinsic agent (outside source) such as a bruise, puncture, tear, or laceration. PROCEDURES I. NATURAL DEATH INVESTIGATIVE PROTOCOLS A. Members shall treat all natural death investigations as a criminal homicide investigation until evidence clearly establishes otherwise, and follow the applicable guidelines set forth in General Order 18 (Criminal Investigations) in regard to: 1. Crime scene protocols 2. Preliminary and follow-up investigations 3. Call-out procedures B. Members investigating a natural death are responsible for checking the interior and exterior of the incident scene for indications of criminal action or other foul play, and denoting their observations in the offense report. C. Members investigating a natural death are responsible for: 1. Examining – in concert with the on-scene district supervisor – the deceased person’s body, and denoting the following information in the offense report: a. Position of the body (in relation to objects nearby, and – if possible – the cardinal direction of the head or feet). b. Clothing, jewelry, or any other items on the body. GENERAL ORDER 38 PAGE 2 of 8 NATURAL DEATH INVESTIGATIONS JULY 1, 2024\n\n--- Page 3 ---\n\nTALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT c. Body temperature (whether the body is hot, warm, cold, or clammy to the touch; best determined by touching the underarm). d. Presence or absence of rigor mortis. e. Presence of lividity, and whether or not it is consistent with the position of the body. f. Presence of any observable trauma. g. Presence of blood or other body fluids. 2. Gathering, and denoting in the offense report, information about the deceased person from observations of the incident scene, and interviews of witnesses, next of kin, or others, in order to determine the following: a. Identification 1) Full name 2) Date of birth 3) Race and gender 4) Social Security Number b. Medical history 1) Current physician’s name, and the names of other physicians who recently provided medical treatment. 2) If applicable, the name of the physician(s) or nurse(s) present at the time of death. 3) Any known medical problems and length of any illness(es). 4) Any medicine or narcotics present at the scene or any known to have been taken, and if prescribed medicine, record the following: a) Type or brand name b) Dosage instructions GENERAL ORDER 38 PAGE 3 of 8 NATURAL DEATH INVESTIGATIONS JULY 1, 2024\n\n--- Page 4 ---\n\nTALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT c) Prescribing physician’s name d) Date issued e) Issuing pharmacy f) Quantity remaining in container or on scene c. Pre-death activity 1) When was the last time someone saw the deceased person alive? 2) Where was the deceased person last seen alive? 3) Who last saw the deceased person alive? 4) What was the deceased person doing, and what was he/her demeanor when last seen alive? 3. In all interviews, establish (and denote in the offense report) the relationship between the person being interviewed and the deceased person. D. Members shall take prudent actions in regard to the disposition of personal property found on the deceased person at the time of the investigation, and: 1. May give such property to the closest next of kin available, but only after the member ensures a property receipt (PD139, available on SharePoint) has been completed and is signed by the person receiving the property. 2. Should give the property to a next of kin in the following order of preference in relation to the deceased person: a. Wife or husband b. Child (at least 18 years of age) c. Mother or father d. Sister or brother GENERAL ORDER 38 PAGE 4 of 8 NATURAL DEATH INVESTIGATIONS JULY 1, 2024\n\n--- Page 5 ---\n\nTALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT 3. If no next of kin is available, the property shall be impounded in accordance with General Order 42 (Impounding and Controlling of Property and Evidence). 4. Officers shall seize and impound all prescription medications prescribed for the deceased person. II. DISTRICT SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES A. A district field supervisor shall respond to each natural death investigation scene, and ensure such incidents are treated as a criminal homicide investigation until evidence clearly establishes otherwise. B. The designated field supervisor is responsible for ensuring members conducting the natural death investigation are following this policy and the applicable guidelines set forth in General Order 18 in regard to: 1. Crime scene protocols 2. Preliminary and follow-up investigations 3. Call-out procedures C. The designated field supervisor is responsible for the following: 1. Conducting – in concert with the primary officer – an examination of the deceased person’s body for signs of trauma to assess whether or not the investigation should, in fact, be handled as a natural death investigation. a. If there are no signs of foul play, circumstances support it being a natural death, and a primary care physician is willing to sign the death certificate, the supervisor will move forward with the funeral home transport without consulting with the ME’s office. b. If the incident does not appear to be a natural death, or a primary care physician will not sign the death certificate or cannot be located, contact the Medical Examiner's Office. The supervisor can consult with the ME’s office even if the circumstances do not require a consultation. 2. Notifying the Medical Examiner’s Office, and: GENERAL ORDER 38 PAGE 5 of 8 NATURAL DEATH INVESTIGATIONS JULY 1, 2024\n\n--- Page 6 ---\n\nTALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT a. Relay facts, circumstances, and evidentiary information to the Medical Examiner (ME) about the deceased person and the incident scene. b. Establish, via the ME, if the deceased person’s body should be released directly to funeral home personnel or transported to the morgue for examination (autopsy or external exam), and: 1) If the ME dictates an autopsy is to be performed, promptly notify the Violent Crimes Unit Homicide supervisor (regular business hours) or the on-call Persons Section supervisor (all other times) to determine if a Violent Crimes Unit detective will respond to the scene. 2) If the ME dictates only an