The Template Report and the Sergeant's Shortcut
You are a four-year officer. While reviewing a use-of-force packet, you read a colleague's report stating that the subject 'lunged' before the takedown. You were on scene, but you were holding the subject's girlfriend and did not see the takedown. The colleague's body-worn camera shows the subject backing away with his hands up before the takedown. The colleague, a 12-year veteran and union representative, asks you to 'sign off as a witness' because you were on scene. Your sergeant says, 'Just sign it; it's a use-of-force packet, not a court case.' The packet is due at the end of shift, and the colleague has been helpful to you since you were a recruit. You have not been asked to write a statement before, and you know the packet will be reviewed by the Office of Police Complaints if a complaint is filed.
1. May you sign the witness statement as requested? Explain.
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No. A witness statement is my account, not a signature on someone else's. I was holding the girlfriend and did not see the takedown, so I cannot attest that the subject lunged. Signing would make me a participant in a false or misleading official report. I can write my own statement: what I saw before the takedown, where I was, what I heard, and what I saw after. I should not sign the colleague's statement as if I observed it. If the sergeant says it is 'not a court case,' that is wrong; use-of-force packets are official records, may be reviewed by the Office of Police Complaints, and can be used in criminal, civil, or administrative proceedings. A false statement can violate MPD's truthfulness policy and expose me to discipline and criminal liability. I would ask for a copy of the packet and write my own statement before the end of shift.
2. What are your obligations about the inaccurate report?
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I have a duty to report the inaccurate report, not just refuse to sign it. The BWC shows the subject backing away with his hands up, which contradicts 'lunged.' I would tell my supervisor in writing and, if the supervisor is the one pressuring me, go to the next level or Internal Affairs. MPD policy requires truthfulness and reporting misconduct; the District's whistleblower protections may apply to a good-faith disclosure. I would preserve the BWC and my notes and write a statement describing what I saw and did not see. I would not gossip about it or confront the colleague in a way that could escalate. The colleague's 12 years and union role do not change the obligation. If I stay silent, the false report can be used to justify force, undermine prosecutions, and damage the Department. Doing the right thing here is not disloyalty; it is the job.
3. What should the colleague's report have said instead, and why?
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The report should describe behavior, not conclusions. Instead of 'the subject lunged,' it should say what the officer saw: 'The subject took two quick steps toward me with his hands near his waist,' or 'The subject backed away with both hands raised.' The officer should include the distance, lighting, and what was in the subject's hands. If the officer reviewed BWC, the report should say so and reconcile any difference. 'Lunged' is an inference; if it is used, the report must explain the specific movement that made it reasonable. The report should also separate what the officer saw from what other officers told him. This matters because reviewers, prosecutors, and juries need to evaluate the force from the actual facts. A conclusory word can make a justified action look fabricated when the video is different.