Police Officer General Practice 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a vehicle pursuit, an officer should:
- Continue at all costs to apprehend the suspect
- Continuously reassess risk versus benefit and be prepared to terminate if danger exceeds public safety (Correct answer)
- Exceed all posted speed limits without restriction
- Always disable the suspect's vehicle with a PIT maneuver
Correct answer: Continuously reassess risk versus benefit and be prepared to terminate if danger exceeds public safety
Departmental pursuit policies require ongoing risk-benefit analysis; pursuits must be terminated when danger to the public outweighs the need for apprehension.
Question 2: An officer discovers a large amount of cash during a lawful search. What should they do?
- Confiscate it as evidence if circumstances suggest criminal activity and document everything (Correct answer)
- Leave it since cash alone is not illegal
- Divide it with their partner as a finder's fee
- Donate it to a local charity
Correct answer: Confiscate it as evidence if circumstances suggest criminal activity and document everything
Cash found in circumstances suggesting drug trafficking or other crimes should be seized, documented, and processed as evidence or for civil forfeiture.
Question 3: What is the key legal standard for a 'Terry stop' (investigative detention)?
- Probable cause
- Beyond a reasonable doubt
- Reasonable articulable suspicion (Correct answer)
- Preponderance of the evidence
Correct answer: Reasonable articulable suspicion
Terry v. Ohio established that a brief investigative stop requires reasonable articulable suspicion — less than probable cause.
Question 4: An officer witnesses a fellow officer using excessive force on a restrained suspect. The witnessing officer should:
- Wait until after the shift to report it privately
- Intervene to stop the excessive force and report it through proper channels (Correct answer)
- Ignore it as it is not their responsibility
- Alert the media immediately
Correct answer: Intervene to stop the excessive force and report it through proper channels
Officers have a duty to intervene to stop excessive force by colleagues and report misconduct through official channels.
Question 5: A person who is deaf is being questioned. The officer should:
- Speak louder to aid comprehension
- Obtain a qualified interpreter or provide written communication to ensure understanding (Correct answer)
- Proceed with standard verbal questioning
- Delay the interview until a supervisor arrives
Correct answer: Obtain a qualified interpreter or provide written communication to ensure understanding
The ADA requires law enforcement to provide effective communication, such as a qualified interpreter, for individuals who are deaf.
Question 6: Which of the following is an example of a 'plain view' seizure?
- An officer searches a closed container in a vehicle without a warrant
- An officer breaks into a home to look for drugs
- An officer lawfully present in a home spots drugs left openly on a table (Correct answer)
- An officer lifts a car seat to look for weapons
Correct answer: An officer lawfully present in a home spots drugs left openly on a table
Plain view allows seizure of evidence when an officer is lawfully present, the item is in open view, and its incriminating nature is immediately apparent.
Question 7: An officer responding to a mental health crisis should FIRST:
- Immediately restrain the individual to prevent harm
- Assess the situation from a safe distance and attempt verbal de-escalation (Correct answer)
- Call for EMS and wait without engaging
- Draw their firearm as a precaution
Correct answer: Assess the situation from a safe distance and attempt verbal de-escalation
Crisis intervention best practices emphasize safe positioning, calm communication, and de-escalation before any physical intervention.
Police Officer General Practice 4
During a vehicle pursuit, an officer should: