Expanding Research on Investigations of Officer-Involved Shootings: An Experimental Evaluation of Question Timing on Police Officers’ Memory Recall

The timing of an investigation after an officer-involved shooting (OIS) is influenced by conflicting forces. The public demands expedited resolution, but police officers are provided several protections that can delay investigations of their actions. This study conducts a randomized experiment to de...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Criminal justice and behavior 2022-07, Vol.49 (7), p.1031-1049
Main Authors: Schnell, Cory, Spencer, M. Dylan, Mancik, Ashley, Porter, Louise E., Ready, Justin, Alpert, Geoffrey P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accountability
Cognition
Deadly force
Interdisciplinary aspects
Interdisciplinary research
Memory
Police
Police shootings
Questionnaires
Recall
Shooting
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Summary:The timing of an investigation after an officer-involved shooting (OIS) is influenced by conflicting forces. The public demands expedited resolution, but police officers are provided several protections that can delay investigations of their actions. This study conducts a randomized experiment to determine the impact of question timing after an OIS on the accuracy of police officers’ memory recall. Officers were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The treatment group completed a questionnaire after participating in a live-action, active shooter training scenario and again 2 days later, whereas the control group only completed the questionnaire 2 days later. Our findings suggest the timing of interviews after training did not influence officers’ recall of the scenario. There is little empirical understanding of how police officers reconstruct OIS events; further interdisciplinary research can help clarify these cognitive processes. This research could strengthen a traditional pathway to provide accountability for officers through investigations.
ISSN:0093-8548
1552-3594
DOI:10.1177/00938548211035824