1. Identifying and Arresting Suspects
Chapter 6
Identifying and Arresting Suspects

2. Identifying a Suspect at the Scene
Identification by driver’s license
Drivers License Guide

3. Field Identification/Show-Up Identification
Field Identification or show-up identification is on-the-scene identification of a suspect by a victim of or witness to a crime. Field identification must be made within a short time after the crime was committed.
U.S. v. Ash, Jr. (1973) established that a suspect does not have the right to have counsel present at a field identification.

4. Suspects are Developed by:
Information provided by the victims, witnesses and other persons
Physical Evidence left at the crime scene
Psychological profiling
Information in police files
Information in the files of other agencies
Informants

5. Victim and Witness Information
Ask very specific questions
Use mug shots of possible suspects
Use composite drawings and sketches
Examining modus operandi information

6. Information in Police Files and Other Agencies
Community Level
County Level
State Level
Federal Level
INTERPOL – The International Criminal Police Organization
Private Agencies

7. Identifying Suspects
Photographic Identification: A suspect does not have the right to a lawyer if a photographic lineup is used (U.S. v. Ash).
Lineup Identification: Suspects may refuse to participate in a lineup, but such refusals can be used against them in court (Schmerber v. California). Suspects have a 6th Amendment right to have an attorney present during a lineup (U.S. v. Wade).

8. Surveillance
Surveillance (literally, to “watch over”) is the covert, discreet observation of people or places.
The surveillant is the plainclothes investigator who makes the observation.
The subject is who or what is being observed.
Surveillance can be either stationary or moving.
Tail, rough tail, open tail, loose tail, close (tight) tail.

9. Surveillance Equipment
Binoculars
Telescopes
Night-vision equipment
Body wires
Video systems
Cameras
Aerial Surveillance
Visual/Video Surveillance
Audio Surveillance

10. Undercover Assignments
Obtain evidence for prosecution
Obtain leads into criminal activities
Check reliability or witnesses or informants
Gain information about premises for future
Check the security of a person in highly sensitive position
Obtain evidence against subversive groups

11. Precautions for Undercover Agents
Do not write notes the subject can read
Carry no identification other than the cover ID
Ensure that any communication with headquarters is covert
Do not suggest, plan initiate or participate in criminal activity (avoid entrapment)

12. Precautions in Conducting Raids
Ensure that the raid is legal: Search Warrant
Plan carefully
Assign adequate personnel and equipment
Brief every member of the raiding party
Be aware of surveillance devices at the site

13. Legal Arrests
Arrest: The taking of a person into custody in the manner authorized by law for the purpose of presenting that person before a magistrate to answer for the commission of a crime.

14. Police Officers are authorized to make an Arrest
For any crime committed in their presence.
For a felony not committed in their presence if they have probable cause to believe the person committed the crime. In some states they can arrest for a misdemeanor not committed in their presence.
Under the authority of an arrest warrant.

15. Use of Force in making an Arrest
Use only as much force as is necessary
Reasonable force is the amount of force a prudent person would use in similar circumstances
Exceptional force means more than ordinary force

16. Graham v. Conner Five Factors to evaluate excessive force
Severity of the crime
Suspect posed an immediate threat
Circumstances were tense, uncertain
Suspect attempting to evade arrest
Suspect actively resisting arrest

17. Deadly Force Tennessee v. Garner (1985)
The Court banned police from shooting to kill fleeing felons unless an imminent danger to life exists. “A police officer may not seize an unarmed, non-dangerous suspect by shooting him dead.”

18. Suicide by Police
Suicide by police is a phenomenon I which someone intentionally acts so threatening toward officers as to force them to fire,accomplishing the subject’s ultimate goal of dying, albeit not by their own hand.