Page 23 - FOP March 2017 Newsletter

ly enhances an officer’s ability to give a more accurate statement. In other words, it provides a more transpar- ent and truthful account of the events. Civilians argue that the delay unfairly allows officers to get their stories straight. They argue that officers are given an unfair lux- ury that is not given to civilians who are arrested and then promptly interrogated. This comparison is inval- id. In reality, criminal suspects don’t ever have to give a statement if they don’t want to. They often can bond out, go home and watch video of their incident on the news and even confer with their involved buddies about what happened. Police officers do not have such rights. Police officers are required to give statements at an administra- tive investigation; they will be fired if they refuse. Allow- ing officers the ability to rest and decompress results in a more accurate statement.
When civilians think about memory, they may think in terms of taking a test and the need to tap their mem- ory of a subject as soon as possible after studying for maximum recall. But memory of a high-impact critical incident that an officer has personally and intimately experienced is far different than the memory of facts for a test. A shooting involves memory of an event that likely occurred suddenly and required time-pressured decision-making—an action-packed, rapidly evolv- ing, life-threating situation. Some of the effects result- ing from this experience play a significant role in one’s memory. It has been scientifically proven that adrena-
line affects memory. The effects of adrenaline on mem- ory can extend, conservatively, up to 12 hours or more after an incident. Some research suggests that the effect could last for a week. The federal government allows its agents 72 hours before giving a compelled statement after a shooting. This 72-hour window was not chosen at random. Research has shown that a good sleep cycle will allow for a more accurate report. After a critical inci- dent, such as an officer-involved shooting, quality REM sleep generally occurs two nights out from the incident. A high level of arousal inhibits an officer’s ability to emo- tionally disengage and fully rest during the first sleep cy- cle. Additionally, stress from a shooting affects cognitive processing; memory, attention and critical thinking are critically impaired. Some researchers have concluded that officers could be cognitively impaired, as if legally intoxicated, during an interview immediately post-inci- dent. Officers involved in deadly force experience tun- nel vision. This results in a sharply narrowed field of sensory concentration. Accordingly, officers often miss reporting details about a scene, which later may turn out to be important. This is why an officer’s memory of the incident will always be contradicted in some way by a video of the incident. It is not a lie but simply science at work.
Knowledge of these critical facts is required for an ac- curate assessment of a given situation. After all, every- one is seeking truth and transparency, right...? d
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