RO Evidence Collection & Preservation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A witness to a range incident provides a verbal account immediately after the event. The range officer should:
- Ask the witness to wait and provide a written statement later only
- Separate witnesses from each other and document initial statements promptly (Correct answer)
- Allow witnesses to discuss the event together to agree on details
- Record only the witness's name and contact information
Correct answer: Separate witnesses from each other and document initial statements promptly
Separating witnesses prevents cross-contamination of accounts; early statements capture details before memory fades.
Question 2: Video surveillance footage from a range camera is best preserved by:
- Overwriting the drive on a regular schedule to save storage space
- Immediately exporting and write-protecting a copy before further recording overwrites it (Correct answer)
- Printing screenshots of the most important frames
- Emailing the footage file to a personal account for safekeeping
Correct answer: Immediately exporting and write-protecting a copy before further recording overwrites it
Surveillance systems loop and overwrite; immediate export and write-protection ensures the footage is not lost.
Question 3: Blood spatter patterns at a range incident scene should be:
- Cleaned up promptly for safety and documented only by memory
- Photographed with scale references and swabbed before any cleaning occurs (Correct answer)
- Covered with plastic sheeting until law enforcement arrives without photography
- Collected by range staff using paper towels for transfer to law enforcement
Correct answer: Photographed with scale references and swabbed before any cleaning occurs
Blood spatter is fragile positional evidence; photos with scale markers and swabs preserve both pattern and biological content.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes the purpose of a numbered evidence placard placed next to an item before photography?
- It marks items that are too dangerous to approach
- It creates a visual reference linking the photo to an entry in the evidence log (Correct answer)
- It signals to others that the item has already been collected
- It provides a color calibration target for the camera
Correct answer: It creates a visual reference linking the photo to an entry in the evidence log
Numbered placards tie each photograph to a specific log entry, maintaining a clear record of what was found and where.
Question 5: A range officer notices that a fired projectile has passed through a wall panel. The best documentation approach for the through-hole is:
- Mark the hole with a permanent marker and move on
- Photograph with and without a measuring scale, noting entry vs. exit side (Correct answer)
- Plug the hole with a dowel to indicate trajectory and leave it for investigators
- Remove the panel entirely and store it as evidence without photography
Correct answer: Photograph with and without a measuring scale, noting entry vs. exit side
Both sides of a through-hole must be photographed with scale references; entry and exit characteristics differ and help establish trajectory.
Question 6: When is it acceptable for a range officer to move or alter potential evidence before law enforcement arrives?
- Whenever the evidence appears to be in a high-traffic area
- Only when leaving the evidence poses an immediate life-safety hazard (Correct answer)
- Whenever the range officer believes they know what the evidence means
- When more than 30 minutes have passed without law enforcement arrival
Correct answer: Only when leaving the evidence poses an immediate life-safety hazard
Evidence should only be disturbed before law enforcement arrives if it presents an imminent danger that cannot be mitigated any other way.
Question 7: Proper labeling of an evidence envelope should be done:
- On a separate slip of paper placed inside the envelope
- On the outside of the sealed envelope before sealing
- After the envelope is sealed, on the outside (Correct answer)
- Either inside or outside — consistency is not required
Correct answer: After the envelope is sealed, on the outside
Labels are applied to the sealed exterior so the seal itself is not broken during labeling and the label covers the seam as tamper evidence.
RO Evidence Collection & Preservation 3
A witness to a range incident provides a verbal account immediately after the event.
The range officer should: