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eral order, you must understand it. A failure to understand this will not only place both yourself and partner in danger by failing to act when you should, but it will also place you in danger at COPA if you act when you should not have acted. Either scenario is a disaster.
Let’s assume that you are required to discharge your fire- arm, and it is a justifiable use of deadly force. What you do in the next few minutes could make all the difference as to how this will turn out. There is an old saying that you can make a bad shooting good, but you can also make a good shooting bad. Remember that COPA believes every shooting is bad. They also believe that immediately after every shooting, the officers sit down and map out a story and essentially collude to hide improper acts. This belief is not only false, but it is illogical based upon the times we live in. There are videos ev- erywhere. Be it a third-party video from a house, a cell phone video, a POD video or the one on vests, you are always being recorded. Always assume that the event was recorded.
The next thing — and perhaps the most difficult — is that you need to be careful as to what you say after the shooting. You will experience fear, anxiety and excitement, as it is only natural. You need to control the urge to speak and talk about what happened. In fact, the new general order prohibits this. Under 03-06 VII, officers are not allowed to discuss the facts of the incident with any other involved member “until inter- viewed by COPA.” The exception to this rule is for safety and tactics. You are allowed to speak with other officers to identi- fy criminal acts, other possible offenders and general public
safety. Once the scene is secure, a supervisor should place you in a safe location alone. If they don’t, then find a squad car yourself.
Be careful who you call, text or communicate with. COPA and the civil rights attorneys will try to get your phone histo- ry. Immediately contact the FOP, who will have a field repre- sentative on scene very quickly. If you are the partner of an of- ficer who used deadly force, you also have a job to do: protect your partner. Make sure the FOP has been called. Don’t let every responding officer talk to him or her. These officers are only trying to help and have good intentions, but the shoot- ing officer needs to be left alone. It is only natural to want to know what just happened, but now is not the time or place for the shooting officer to talk, especially if a body-worn camera is running. Your partner is shaken, upset and scared, and it is your job to protect him or her.
Once everyone is safe and backup has arrived, it is impera- tive that you not speak with anyone. Remember, COPA thinks you are colluding, and they will try to interview every person you spoke with to find some type of discrepancy. Your duty at this point is to talk to the street deputy and speak with the de- tectives, but you have a right to have a union representative with you and an attorney if necessary. You did your job and there is a time to justify your actions, but that time is not at the scene. You will be fine, and remember that your Lodge is standing with you.
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