MO POST flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Custodial interrogation

Questioning by police after a person has been taken into custody or otherwise deprived of freedom in a significant way; Miranda warnings must precede it.

Reasonable suspicion

Specific, articulable facts plus rational inferences that would lead a reasonable officer to believe criminal activity is afoot; it permits an investigative detention but not an arrest.

Search incident to arrest

Warrantless search of the arrestee's person and area of immediate control, including a vehicle passenger compartment when the arrestee is unsecured and within reaching distance.

Exigent circumstances

Exception to the warrant requirement when immediate action is needed to prevent escape, destruction of evidence, danger to officers or others, or to continue a hot pursuit.

SARA model

Problem-solving framework: Scanning to identify and prioritize problems, Analysis of underlying causes, Response with tailored strategies, and Assessment of the results.

Reactionary gap

Distance an officer maintains, commonly trained as about 21 feet, to allow time to react to a sudden attack by a subject armed with an edged weapon.

BOLO broadcast elements

Suspect and vehicle description, direction and time of travel, weapon involvement, and the reason for the alert, transmitted concisely over the radio.

Chain of custody

Chronological record showing who handled evidence, when, where, and for what purpose, from seizure through analysis and courtroom presentation.

Excited utterance

Hearsay exception for a statement about a startling event made while the declarant was still under the stress and excitement caused by that event.

Double-blind lineup

Identification procedure in which neither the witness nor the administering officer knows which lineup member is the suspect, reducing inadvertent suggestion.

Implied consent

Missouri law deeming a driver to have consented to chemical testing after an alcohol-related arrest; refusal triggers license sanctions and generally requires a warrant for blood.

Horizontal gaze nystagmus

Involuntary jerking of the eyes observed as a stimulus tracks across the visual field; validated for alcohol impairment, with clues of onset, distinctness, and angle of onset.

Minimum skid speed formula

Speed equals the square root of 30 times the skid distance in feet times the drag factor; yields speed at the start of the skid on a level surface.

Total stopping distance

The sum of perception distance, reaction distance, and braking distance; it grows as speed increases and as traction decreases.

Graham factors

Objective reasonableness factors from Graham v. Connor: severity of the crime, whether the suspect poses an immediate threat, and whether the suspect is resisting or fleeing.

Tennessee v. Garner

Deadly force to prevent escape is unreasonable unless the officer has probable cause that the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical injury.

Duty to intervene

Officers must stop and report excessive force used by another officer when in a position to do so, and must render aid afterward.

Positional asphyxia

Death from restricted breathing caused by body position, often prone placement or weight on the back after restraint; move the subject to a seated or recovery position.

Four firearm safety rules

Treat every firearm as loaded, keep the muzzle in a safe direction, keep the finger off the trigger until ready, and identify the target and backstop.

Tap-rack-ready

Immediate action for a failure to fire: tap the magazine to seat it, rack the slide to eject the round, and reacquire the sight picture.

Cover versus concealment

Cover stops bullets; concealment only hides you from view. Both defeat observation, but only cover provides ballistic protection.

Due regard

Standard for emergency vehicle operation: statutory exemptions apply only when the driver shows regard for the safety of all persons and does not act recklessly.

Three-second following rule

Maintain at least three seconds of following distance under ideal conditions, adding time for higher speed, darkness, rain, or reduced visibility.

Understeer

Condition where the front tires lose traction before the rear and the vehicle continues straight despite steering input; correct by reducing speed and steering less.

Report narrative order

Chronological, first-person, past-tense sequence covering who, what, when, where, how, and why, with observations kept separate from conclusions.

Brady material

Exculpatory or impeaching evidence favorable to the accused that the prosecution must disclose; officers must document and forward it.

Late entry in a report

Correction made after submission: strike a single line, write the correction, then initial and date it rather than erasing or obliterating the original text.

Procedural justice

Perceived fairness shaped by giving voice, neutral decision-making, respectful treatment, and trustworthy motives, which increases compliance and cooperation with police.

Giglio disclosure

Obligation to disclose evidence of officer dishonesty that could impeach testimony, including sustained findings for false statements or untruthfulness.

MARCH sequence

Tactical casualty care priorities: massive hemorrhage control, airway, respirations, circulation, and hypothermia prevention, treated in that order.

Tourniquet application

Apply high and tight on the injured limb, tighten until bleeding stops, record the time, and never loosen it in the field once placed.

Naloxone use

Opioid antagonist given intranasally or by injection to reverse respiratory depression; support breathing and repeat dosing as needed.