MPOETC Incident Investigation & Reporting 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When responding to a domestic disturbance, an officer observes fresh bruising on the victim's arm. The victim denies any assault occurred. What should the officer do?
- Accept the victim's statement and clear the scene
- Document the observed injuries in the incident report regardless of the victim's denial (Correct answer)
- Arrest the suspect only if the victim agrees to press charges
- Leave a business card and advise the victim to call if needed
Correct answer: Document the observed injuries in the incident report regardless of the victim's denial
Officers must document all observed evidence including injuries in their reports, independent of what the victim claims, as physical evidence is objective documentation.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes the purpose of the 'chain of custody' in evidence handling?
- To limit which officers can access a crime scene
- To establish a documented record of everyone who handled evidence from collection to court (Correct answer)
- To determine which detective will lead the investigation
- To set the order in which evidence is photographed
Correct answer: To establish a documented record of everyone who handled evidence from collection to court
Chain of custody documents every person who handled evidence to ensure its integrity and admissibility in court.
Question 3: An officer arrives at a burglary scene where the homeowner has already rearranged items to assess what was taken. What is the officer's priority?
- Arrest the homeowner for tampering with evidence
- Document the current scene conditions and note that the scene was altered before police arrival (Correct answer)
- Refuse to investigate since the scene has been compromised
- Begin interviewing neighbors before documenting the scene
Correct answer: Document the current scene conditions and note that the scene was altered before police arrival
Officers must document the scene as found upon arrival and note in the report that the scene was altered prior to their response.
Question 4: When writing an incident report, the term 'proximate cause' refers to:
- The nearest witness to an event
- The direct cause that produced the incident or injury (Correct answer)
- The approximate time the incident occurred
- The location closest to where a suspect was apprehended
Correct answer: The direct cause that produced the incident or injury
Proximate cause is the direct or primary cause that sets in motion a chain of events leading to an incident or injury.
Question 5: During a vehicle crash investigation, skid marks are discovered at the scene. These marks are best documented by:
- Estimating their length verbally in the report
- Photographing and measuring their length and direction in relation to fixed landmarks (Correct answer)
- Sketching them from memory after leaving the scene
- Only noting them if a fatality occurred
Correct answer: Photographing and measuring their length and direction in relation to fixed landmarks
Skid marks must be photographed and precisely measured, with location referenced to fixed landmarks, to reconstruct vehicle speed and pre-crash behavior.
Question 6: A witness to a robbery refuses to give a written statement but verbally describes the suspect. How should this be reflected in the incident report?
- Omit the witness entirely since no written statement was provided
- Document the witness's information and note that the verbal description was provided but the witness declined a written statement (Correct answer)
- Fabricate a written statement based on the verbal account
- Only record the witness name without any description
Correct answer: Document the witness's information and note that the verbal description was provided but the witness declined a written statement
All witness contact and information provided, including verbal accounts, must be documented with a note that a written statement was declined.
Question 7: Under Pennsylvania's MPOETC standards, when must a use-of-force report be completed?
- Only when a suspect is hospitalized
- Any time an officer uses force beyond handcuffing a compliant subject (Correct answer)
- Only when the use of force results in a formal complaint
- Only for firearms discharges
Correct answer: Any time an officer uses force beyond handcuffing a compliant subject
Pennsylvania MPOETC guidelines require use-of-force documentation any time force beyond routine restraint of a compliant subject is applied.
MPOETC Incident Investigation & Reporting 2
When responding to a domestic disturbance, an officer observes fresh bruising on the victim's arm.
The victim denies any assault occurred.
What should the officer do?