NTN Police Video-Based Situational Judgment 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: While on patrol, you observe a vehicle weaving between lanes. You activate your lights, but the driver does not stop and slowly continues driving. What is the most appropriate immediate action?
- Ram the vehicle to force it to stop
- Immediately call a supervisor and discontinue following the vehicle
- Notify dispatch, follow at a safe distance, and wait for further instructions (Correct answer)
- Block the vehicle with your patrol car
Correct answer: Notify dispatch, follow at a safe distance, and wait for further instructions
Notifying dispatch and following safely while awaiting instructions is the proper initial response to a non-stopping vehicle, balancing public safety and proper procedure.
When a driver fails to stop after lights are activated, officers should notify dispatch immediately, document the vehicle description, and follow at a safe distance while awaiting supervisor guidance and further instructions. Department pursuit policies govern whether to continue, and safety considerations for the public are paramount. Ramming or blocking are dangerous tactics reserved for extreme circumstances requiring specific authorization.
Question 2: You respond to a domestic disturbance call. Upon arrival, a woman answers the door with visible bruising on her arm. She insists nothing happened and says her husband is not home. What is the best course of action?
- Accept her statement and clear the call since she says nothing happened
- Ask to enter the residence to check for the husband and assess the situation (Correct answer)
- Immediately arrest the woman for filing a false report
- Leave and tell her to call back if she needs help
Correct answer: Ask to enter the residence to check for the husband and assess the situation
Visible injuries and a potential suspect still on-scene or nearby require officers to conduct a proper safety check and investigation, not simply accept a denial.
Domestic violence victims often deny incidents due to fear, coercion, or emotional ties. Visible bruising constitutes observed evidence of potential criminal activity. Officers should request entry to conduct a welfare check and determine if the husband is still present. Simply accepting her denial would fail to protect the victim and could violate mandatory domestic violence response protocols in most jurisdictions. Thorough documentation and a proper investigation are required.
Question 3: You are interviewing a burglary victim when a bystander walks up and loudly insists that the suspect was a person he knows and begins describing them in detail. What should you do?
- Ignore the bystander because you are in the middle of an interview
- Interrupt the victim interview and immediately arrest the person the bystander names
- Politely ask the bystander to wait, finish the victim interview, then take the bystander's statement separately (Correct answer)
- Tell the bystander their information is not needed
Correct answer: Politely ask the bystander to wait, finish the victim interview, then take the bystander's statement separately
Collecting all witness statements is important, but disrupting an ongoing victim interview is counterproductive. Finishing the interview and then taking the bystander's account is the professional approach.
Effective scene management means collecting information from all witnesses while maintaining order and focus. Abruptly interrupting a victim interview can lose important details and disrupt the victim. Ignoring the bystander entirely could mean losing a witness. The professional approach is to briefly acknowledge the bystander, ask them to remain on scene, complete the victim interview, and then take the bystander's full statement separately. Never act on a single bystander's accusation without investigation.
Question 4: During a traffic stop, the driver provides a valid license but the registered owner of the vehicle has an outstanding warrant. The driver claims they borrowed the car. What is the most appropriate action?
- Immediately arrest the driver since they are in the registered owner's vehicle
- Run a records check on the driver and verify the registered owner's information before taking any action (Correct answer)
- Release the driver and impound the vehicle automatically
- Issue a warning ticket and let the driver go
Correct answer: Run a records check on the driver and verify the registered owner's information before taking any action
Running a complete records check on the actual driver and verifying all information is the correct first step before taking any action.
An outstanding warrant belongs to a specific person, not a vehicle. The driver claiming to have borrowed the car may be telling the truth. The proper procedure is to run a full records check on the driver to see if they have any warrants, verify their identity, and confirm the vehicle information. Arresting someone simply because they are driving a vehicle registered to a person with a warrant, without confirming the driver's identity, could constitute an unlawful arrest.
Question 5: You arrive at a scene and find a man lying unconscious on the sidewalk with a strong odor of alcohol. A passerby tells you the man just collapsed. What is the highest priority action?
- Search the man for contraband and weapons
- Request medical assistance and assess the man for life-threatening conditions (Correct answer)
- Handcuff the man as a precaution before checking on him
- Wait for backup before approaching
Correct answer: Request medical assistance and assess the man for life-threatening conditions
An unconscious person requires immediate medical assessment and EMS notification — life safety takes priority over all other considerations.
When encountering an unconscious individual, the immediate priority is life safety. Officers are trained in basic first aid and must assess the person for life-threatening conditions and immediately summon medical assistance. Searching for contraband or applying handcuffs before addressing the medical emergency would be inappropriate and potentially harmful. Situational judgment requires recognizing when emergency medical needs supersede other law enforcement activities.
Question 6: Your partner makes a comment to a citizen that you believe was racially insensitive, though not illegal. The citizen appears offended but does not complain formally. What is the most appropriate action?
- Ignore it because it was not illegal and the citizen did not file a complaint
- Confront your partner aggressively in front of the citizen
- Speak privately with your partner about the comment and report the incident to a supervisor (Correct answer)
- Encourage the citizen to file a formal complaint immediately
Correct answer: Speak privately with your partner about the comment and report the incident to a supervisor
Addressing unprofessional conduct through appropriate channels — speaking with your partner and informing a supervisor — is the correct professional response.
Officers have a professional obligation to maintain department standards and public trust. Even if conduct is not illegal, racially insensitive comments undermine community relations and departmental integrity. The appropriate response is to address the partner privately to maintain respect, and report the incident to a supervisor through proper channels. Ignoring the behavior enables it to continue; a public confrontation would escalate the situation and embarrass the department.
NTN Police Video-Based Situational Judgment 2
While on patrol, you observe a vehicle weaving between lanes.
You activate your lights, but the driver does not stop and slowly continues driving.
What is the most appropriate immediate action?