Interviewing Employees Involved in Incidents of Violence

The employee interview surrounding an officer-involved shooting, death-in-custody case, or other violent incident involving an officer may be the most important phase of an investigation. The practice of some agencies of interviewing the employees involved and then instructing them to prepare a report describing the incident and their actions is unacceptable. Never allow an employee to prepare a report of his or her own interview. The report may be self-serving and lack objectivity. Important facts may be omitted or distorted. An interview report written by an employee involved in a violent incident will probably not withstand scrutiny by the courts or the media.