I have posted on this topic before, but a recent situation in Las Vegas which has the police refusing to testify at coroners inquests relating to officer-involved shootings makes the reasons for this very clear…
You can read the complete article here…
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/dec/31/officers-refuse-answer-questions/
Chris Collins is the president of the officers union. Here is his primary statement as to why officers will refuse to testify..
Collins said he wants officers to avoid being questioned four times about the same incident during the criminal investigation, at the inquest, and then, if there is a civil suit, a deposition, and at a trial.
To paint a picture of the problems that might arise, Collins gave a fictional example: After shooting a suspect, an officer tells homicide investigators he was 6 feet away when he shot; during the inquest, the ombudsman grills him and gets him to say it was 6 or 7 feet; then a civil suit is filed and the officer has to go into a deposition and answer again; then he answers one more time during the civil trial.
Even though by the time the inquest is held, the district attorney has typically decided not to charge the officer, Collins said going through the questions four times is onerous.
Keep in mind that if YOU are involved in a shooting incident, you will be asked to state exactly what happened multiple times – from the 911 operator which will be recorded, to the first responding officers, to the investigating detectives, and more.
Anything you say CAN and WILL be used against you. That includes the possibility of it being twisted around to confuse you or other witnesses.
The police know this is what happens. They do this on a routine basis. They are working to avoid having the same tactics used against them.
Follow their lead.
If you are involved in a shooting incident, your first call is to 911 giving them only what you must. Your next call is to your attorney. I recommend Mitch Vilos.
Until he is there, say nothing to the police. Don’t fall into the trap that they know about, and don’t want to get in themselves.
One other thing I want to mention.
In a stress situation, you will not remember exactly what happened. I use an example of a police officer that shot at a fleeing suspect that had shot at him. He underestimated the number of shots he fired, and missed the target with most of his shots.
You will not know exactly what happened. Wait for your attorney. It’s the smart thing to do.