Page 75 - CFDI Guide

THE OFFICIAL INVESTIGATIONS

LAW ENFORCEMENT AND MEDICAL EXAMINER TO PROSECUTION

The official investigation most often has two components – the law enforcement agency, and the coroner /
medical examiner’s office. Two important considerations are:

1. The medical examiner’s office is an independent, often law enforcement based, agency which is
supposed to be neutral as to their findings; they conduct separate investigations; and

2. These investigations are often concurrent and cooperative investigations between the medical

examiner’s office and the law enforcement agency.

Other agencies may be involved – from fire and EMS to specialized due to the event – such as Occupational

Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) in workplace incidents, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)

in federally regulated transportation incidents, and others from local to state and federal. Each have their
specific authorizations, policies, and procedures. In common are the investigative tasks. These include:
• The incident scene security;

• The incident scene documentation (logs, photographs, videos, records & reports);

• The decedent or victim documentation (as above);
• Evidence documentation and collection of the above;

• The investigation documentation (this expands the above to include witnesses and other

investigative continuations);
• Obtain relevant decedent history and records for the investigation; and
• Determine their specific statutory obligations:

o Medical Examiner (or non-fatal Medical Provider) – Cause and Manner of Death / SBI.

o Law Enforcement – any violation of criminal statutes.
o Civil – in any death / SBI there may be public health and/or civil liabilities for which the ME, law

enforcement, and CFDI are involved, or their investigative findings are – with or without criminal
charges.

The CFDI will be reviewing and analyzing all available information, facts, and evidence, advising of any

questioned or missing information, facts, and evidence, and in the final stages as warranted – conducting
their own criminal defense investigation.

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