TCOLE Basic Peace Officer 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under Texas law, which Miranda warning element must be communicated before a custodial interrogation begins?
- The right to remain silent (Correct answer)
- The right to a jury trial
- The right to confront witnesses
- The right to appeal a conviction
Correct answer: The right to remain silent
Miranda requires officers to inform suspects of the right to remain silent before any custodial interrogation.
Question 2: A Texas peace officer discovers a person unconscious with drug paraphernalia nearby. Under the Texas Good Samaritan law, which action is MOST appropriate?
- Provide emergency medical aid and call EMS before any enforcement action (Correct answer)
- Immediately arrest the unconscious person for drug possession
- Leave the scene and report to a supervisor
- Search the area for additional suspects before providing aid
Correct answer: Provide emergency medical aid and call EMS before any enforcement action
The Texas Good Samaritan statute prioritizes life-saving medical assistance, and officers should provide aid and summon EMS first.
Question 3: Which document grants Texas peace officers statutory authority to carry a firearm while off duty?
- Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1701
- Texas Penal Code Section 46.15 (Correct answer)
- Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 2.13
- Texas Government Code Chapter 411
Correct answer: Texas Penal Code Section 46.15
Texas Penal Code Section 46.15 provides the exemption that allows licensed peace officers to carry handguns off duty.
Question 4: When conducting a Terry stop in Texas, an officer must have:
- Reasonable suspicion based on articulable facts (Correct answer)
- Probable cause supported by an affidavit
- A valid arrest warrant
- Consent from the individual
Correct answer: Reasonable suspicion based on articulable facts
A Terry stop requires reasonable suspicion — specific, articulable facts suggesting criminal activity — not the higher standard of probable cause.
Question 5: A complainant tells an officer that a neighbor verbally threatened to kill them yesterday. The neighbor is not present. The MOST accurate classification of this offense is:
- Terroristic threat — Class B misdemeanor (Correct answer)
- Assault by contact — Class C misdemeanor
- Aggravated assault — second-degree felony
- Harassment — Class B misdemeanor
Correct answer: Terroristic threat — Class B misdemeanor
Threatening to kill someone constitutes terroristic threat, a Class B misdemeanor under Texas Penal Code Section 22.07.
Question 6: Under TCOLE standards, how many hours of continuing education must a Texas peace officer complete every two years to maintain licensure?
- 40 hours (Correct answer)
- 24 hours
- 80 hours
- 16 hours
Correct answer: 40 hours
TCOLE requires licensed peace officers to complete 40 hours of continuing education every 24-month license cycle.
Question 7: An officer responding to a domestic disturbance observes visible injuries on the complainant. Under Texas Family Code, the officer:
- SHALL arrest the primary aggressor regardless of the complainant's wishes (Correct answer)
- May arrest only if the complainant signs a complaint
- Must wait for a magistrate's warrant before arresting
- Can issue a citation in lieu of arrest
Correct answer: SHALL arrest the primary aggressor regardless of the complainant's wishes
Texas Family Code Section 14.03 mandates arrest of the primary aggressor in family violence cases involving visible injuries, without requiring complainant consent.
TCOLE Basic Peace Officer 2
Under Texas law, which Miranda warning element must be communicated before a custodial interrogation begins?