NTN Police Situational Judgment & Problem Solving 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: You witness a fellow officer use excessive force on a non-resisting suspect after an arrest is complete. What should you do?
- Stay silent to support your colleague
- Intervene to stop the force and report the incident through proper channels (Correct answer)
- Wait to see if the suspect complains before acting
- Tell the officer privately later but take no formal action
Correct answer: Intervene to stop the force and report the incident through proper channels
Officers have a duty to intervene when they witness excessive force and to report misconduct, regardless of collegial relationships.
Question 2: You are conducting a welfare check on an elderly person. The neighbor who called says they haven't seen him in three days. No one answers the door. What do you do?
- Leave a note on the door and clear the call
- Check all exterior entry points, contact the landlord or property manager for access, and consider forced entry if there is reason to believe the person is in danger (Correct answer)
- Post a notice and return in 24 hours
- Cancel the call since neighbors sometimes travel
Correct answer: Check all exterior entry points, contact the landlord or property manager for access, and consider forced entry if there is reason to believe the person is in danger
A three-day absence combined with a welfare concern warrants active investigation including seeking lawful entry if exigent circumstances exist.
Question 3: A driver you have pulled over suddenly opens the car door and begins to run. You have not yet identified criminal activity beyond the traffic stop. What is the appropriate response?
- Immediately draw your firearm and order them to stop
- Order them to stop verbally and pursue on foot if safe, but recognize flight alone does not justify deadly force (Correct answer)
- Let them go since it was only a traffic stop
- Use your vehicle to cut off their path
Correct answer: Order them to stop verbally and pursue on foot if safe, but recognize flight alone does not justify deadly force
Flight from a traffic stop may justify a detention, but deadly force is not authorized unless there is a threat to life.
Question 4: You respond to a noise complaint at an apartment and the resident refuses to lower the volume, insisting the noise is legal at this hour. What do you do?
- Force entry to turn off the music
- Verify local noise ordinance times, and if a violation exists, issue a warning or citation accordingly (Correct answer)
- Leave immediately since the resident was uncooperative
- Arrest the resident for disorderly conduct
Correct answer: Verify local noise ordinance times, and if a violation exists, issue a warning or citation accordingly
Enforcement depends on whether an actual ordinance violation exists; officers must know the applicable law before taking enforcement action.
Question 5: While on patrol you observe two men fighting in an alley. One man runs away as you approach. The remaining man says it was mutual combat and declines to press charges. What should you do?
- Leave since the victim won't cooperate
- Investigate independently, document injuries, attempt to identify the other party, and determine if an arrest is warranted based on the evidence (Correct answer)
- Arrest the remaining man for fighting
- Take a report only if injuries are severe
Correct answer: Investigate independently, document injuries, attempt to identify the other party, and determine if an arrest is warranted based on the evidence
Victim cooperation is not required for the officer to investigate or make an arrest if probable cause exists based on observable evidence.
Question 6: You pull over a vehicle for a broken taillight. The passenger is visibly nervous and will not make eye contact. The driver is calm and cooperative. How do you proceed?
- Focus entirely on the driver and ignore the passenger
- Note the passenger's behavior as a factor to consider while conducting the stop professionally and observing the vehicle (Correct answer)
- Immediately order both occupants out of the car
- Arrest the passenger based on nervousness alone
Correct answer: Note the passenger's behavior as a factor to consider while conducting the stop professionally and observing the vehicle
Passenger nervousness is an observable factor that informs officer awareness, but alone it does not justify escalating the stop beyond its original purpose.
Question 7: You are first to respond to a reported gas leak inside a residential building. Residents are evacuating. What is your primary role?
- Enter the building to search for the source of the leak
- Assist with evacuation, establish a safety perimeter, and await the fire department and gas company (Correct answer)
- Shut off the gas yourself if you can find the valve
- Begin knocking on doors to warn residents inside
Correct answer: Assist with evacuation, establish a safety perimeter, and await the fire department and gas company
Gas leaks are the fire department's and utility company's domain; police should manage evacuation and perimeter while keeping themselves and civilians at a safe distance.
NTN Police Situational Judgment & Problem Solving 4
You witness a fellow officer use excessive force on a non-resisting suspect after an arrest is complete.
What should you do?