Policy Text
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
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5.8 Deceased Persons
5.8.1 Deaths Reportable to the Medical Examiner (Revised: 8/1/14)
A. The following various types of death are reportable to the San Francisco Medical
Examiner:
1. Homicide or suicide
2. Accident or injury
3. Suspicion of criminal act of another
4. No physician in attendance within the last 20 days
5. Physicians unable to state cause of death
6. Poisoning
7. Occupational deaths
8. Operating room deaths
9. Solitary deaths
10. All comatose patients
11. Death of unidentified persons
12. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
13. Aspiration.
B. Procedure for Possible Death
1. Officers are not authorized pronounce death.
2. Immediately upon notification of a person presumed dead, the officer should
notify the Medical Examiner’s Office of a “probable death.”
3. In any death due to violence or contributed violence, the UCSF Investigations
Unit will be notified. The Watch Comma nder will also be advised and a
determination made on the need for any outside law enforcement mutual aid
requests.
a. When the officer arrives at the scene of a violent death, he/she will notify
the Watch Commander of the circumstances and remain at the scene until
the arrival of the Medical Examiner’s Office investigator.
4. If the officer arrives at a scene of a non -violent death, the officer will remain at
the scene until the Medical Examiner investigator arrives, unless there is a
responsible next -of-kin who will and can remain at the scene.
C. It is unlawful for anyone to move a dead body from the position of death without the
permission of either the physician last in attendance or the Medical Examiner’s Office.
1. No matter where the body lies, t he officer may not remove or disturb the body.
However, the paramedics may move the body to ascertain whether medical aid
would be of avail.
2. Beyond this, the Medical Examiner investigators are the only persons who may
move a body or take possession of property at the scene of a known Medical
Examiner’s case.
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
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3. Under no circumstances should the officer disturb evidence surrounding the scene
of a death.
D. California Government Code § 27491.3 states, "In any death into which the Coroner is to
inquire . . . it shall be unlawful for any person to search for or remove any papers,
moneys, valuable property, or weapons . . . from the person of the deceased or from the
premises prior to arrival of the Coroner or without his permission . . ."
1. However, sub section (d) states, "A peace officer may search the person or
property . . . whose death is due to a traffic accident, for a driver's license or
identification card to determine if an anatomical donor card is attached . . . shall
immediately furnish such i nformation to the coroner . . ."
E. The officer shall prepare the crime report or incident report in all cases.
F. The Investigations Lieutenant shall copy the case for the San Francisco County Medical
Examiner in all cases described in sections B and C.
G. All receipts shall be attached to the master case.
H. In all Medical Examiner’s cases, all notes, letters or other documents apparently written
by the deceased shall be given to the Deputy Medical Examiner with the body and a
receipt obtained. The Medical Examiner will provide this Department with facsimile
copies of such documents, which include those:
1. Tending to indicate an intention by the writer to take his/her life
2. Containing directions for the disposition of his/her propert y or the disposal of
his/her remains.
I. Any notes, letters or other documents discovered subsequent to the removal of the body
shall be given to the Investigations Lieutenant , who will forward them to the Medical
Examiner and obtain a receipt.
J. The Co roner is responsible for notifying relatives or friends of the deceased, but the
Department shall assist as requested . (Refer to General Order 4.5.14, “Notification of
Next of Kin of Deceased, Seriously Injured or Seriously Ill Persons.”)