FREE SHERIFF Situational Judgment Scenarios Questions and Answers

Question 1

You are off-duty in a department store, not carrying your firearm, when you witness an individual conceal a small item and walk past the registers toward the exit.
What is the most appropriate immediate action for you to take?

Accepted Answer

Observe the individual, note their description and direction of travel, and contact the on-duty authorities to report the incident.

Answer

Physically detain the individual and call 911 from your cell phone.

Answer

Immediately identify yourself as a deputy sheriff and order them to stop.

Answer

Ignore the incident as you are off-duty and it is a minor offense.

Question 2

You respond to a call about a loud argument. Upon arrival, a man on his front porch is visibly upset and shouting at you, "You have no right to be on my property!" He is not making any physical threats. Which of the following is the best initial approach to de-escalate the situation?

Accepted Answer

Use a calm and non-threatening tone, introduce yourself, and explain the reason for your presence.

Answer

Assert your authority by telling him you have every right to be there and demand he calm down.

Answer

Immediately request backup and wait for them to arrive before engaging with the man.

Answer

Ignore his yelling and walk past him to knock on the front door.

Question 3

You conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle for speeding. The driver is frantic and explains her young child in the back seat is having a severe asthma attack and she is rushing to the emergency room a few blocks away. The child is visibly in distress. What is the most appropriate action to take?

Accepted Answer

Use your discretion to forgo the citation and offer to provide an escort to the hospital to ensure they arrive safely.

Answer

Issue the speeding ticket quickly so she can continue to the hospital.

Answer

Detain the driver and child and wait for an ambulance to arrive at your location.

Answer

Follow the vehicle to the hospital to verify her story before deciding whether to issue a citation.

Question 4

While completing a report, you notice your partner omitted that he forgot to turn on his body camera until two minutes into a non-confrontational encounter. The omission has no bearing on the outcome. He asks you not to mention it to "avoid the paperwork." What is the most ethical course of action?

Accepted Answer

Advise your partner that he must document the oversight accurately, as required by policy, and that you will have to mention it if he does not.

Answer

Agree not to mention it, as it was a minor mistake and doesn't affect the case.

Answer

Report your partner to Internal Affairs immediately for the policy violation.

Answer

Complete your own report without mentioning it, leaving it to him to report his own mistake.

Question 5

You are the first deputy to arrive at the scene of a reported burglary. You see a broken window, the front door is ajar, and you can hear someone crying inside. A neighbor is on the lawn trying to tell you what they saw. Which of the following should be your immediate first priority?

Accepted Answer

Enter the residence cautiously to ensure the safety of any occupants and determine if a suspect is still present.

Answer

Secure the perimeter of the house with crime scene tape to preserve evidence.

Answer

Get a detailed statement from the neighbor who witnessed the event.

Answer

Immediately begin searching the exterior for footprints and other physical evidence.

Question 6

You are instructed by your Sergeant to use a specific route for prisoner transport. You know that a departmental General Order, updated last week, explicitly designates a different, pre-approved route. The Sergeant seems unaware of the update. What is the most appropriate response?

Accepted Answer

Respectfully inform the Sergeant about the new General Order and ask for clarification on which route to take.

Answer

Follow the Sergeant's order without question to avoid being insubordinate.

Answer

Ignore the Sergeant's order and take the route specified in the General Order without comment.

Answer

Go over the Sergeant's head and ask the Watch Commander which route to take.