OH POST cheat sheet

Ohio peace officer certification is granted by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission (OPOTC) within the Attorney General's office; revocation follows conviction of a disqualifying offense or failure to complete continuing professional training.

Ohio requires 24 hours of continuing professional training (CPT) per calendar year for sworn officers; the OPOTC sets annual topic mandates, and noncompliance can suspend certification.

Terry v. Ohio (1968) established stop-and-frisk: reasonable suspicion of criminal activity permits a brief investigative detention, and a pat-down requires separate reasonable suspicion that the person is armed and dangerous.

Miranda warnings are required only for custodial interrogation; custody means a reasonable person would not feel free to leave, and interrogation means words or actions reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response.

Ohio's public records law (R.C. 149.43) makes records available on request; confidential law enforcement investigatory records are exempt only while disclosure would interfere with a pending investigation or reveal confidential sources.

Garrity protection: statements compelled from a public employee under threat of discipline cannot be used in a criminal prosecution, but can be used for administrative discipline.

Use-of-force legal standard: Graham v. Connor (1989) applies objective reasonableness under the Fourth Amendment, judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on scene, not with 20/20 hindsight.

Ohio's statutory use-of-force standard (R.C. 2901.05) allows force that an officer reasonably believes necessary to defend self or others, effect an arrest, or prevent escape, and deadly force only to prevent serious bodily harm or death.

Bias-free policing requires articulable, individualized suspicion; race, ethnicity, or national origin alone cannot justify a stop, and consensual encounters need no suspicion but must remain voluntary.

Reasonable suspicion for a traffic stop requires a specific, articulable violation (equipment, moving, or registration); pretext is irrelevant if the violation is real (Whren v. United States).

Ohio OVI enforcement uses three detection phases: vehicle in motion, personal contact, and pre-arrest screening; standardized field sobriety tests are the horizontal gaze nystagmus, walk-and-turn, and one-leg stand.

Implied consent (R.C. 4511.191): a lawfully arrested OVI suspect who refuses a chemical test faces an Administrative License Suspension, imposed at arrest, with appeal rights.

Ohio's OVI per se limits are 0.08% BAC for drivers 21 and older, 0.02% for under-21 drivers, and 0.04% for commercial driver's license holders operating a CMV.

High-risk patrol times cluster around bar closing and shift-change hours; saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints (with advance public notice per Ohio law) target impaired driving.

Directed patrol applies the Koper curve: 12-16 minute visible police presence at hot spots produces measurable residual deterrence beyond the visit.

Traffic collision investigation priorities: scene safety and traffic control, aid to injured, then documentation - measurements, photographs, witness statements, and vehicle positions before removal.

Radar and lidar speed enforcement requires operator training and calibration records; lidar needs a clear, relatively flat target and is less affected by cosine error than radar.

Chain of custody must document every transfer of evidence: collector, date, time, location, description, and each subsequent handler; any gap creates an authenticity challenge at trial.

Search warrant affidavits need probable cause stated in facts, not conclusions; stale information weakens probable cause, and the good-faith exception (United States v. Leon) does not cure an affidavit the affiant knew was false.

Exigent circumstances permitting warrantless entry include hot pursuit, imminent destruction of evidence, risk to life, and a fleeing suspect; the burden is on the state to prove exigency.

Custodial interrogation must be recorded in Ohio for serious offenses when feasible (R.C. 2933.81); unrecorded statements may be excluded absent a valid exception.

Eyewitness identification best practice: double-blind administration, sequential or blinded lineup, unbiased fillers, and a non-suggestive instruction that the perpetrator may not be present.

Burglary in Ohio requires trespass into an occupied structure with intent to commit a crime; robbery requires force or threat of force in the course of a theft offense.

Case management uses solvability factors - named suspect, witness availability, identifiable property, physical evidence, and modus operandi links - to prioritize follow-up.

Digital evidence requires forensic imaging with hash verification (e.g., SHA-256) before analysis; original media is preserved and all work is done on a verified copy.

Use-of-force continuum concepts: presence, verbal direction, empty-hand control, intermediate weapons (OC, baton, TASER), and deadly force; each level must be objectively reasonable for the threat.

Reactionary gap: an assailant can close roughly 21 feet in about 1.5 seconds (Tueller drill); officers need distance and cover to react to an edged-weapon threat.

Weapon retention: keep the firearm on the dominant side, maintain a master grip, and use a two-handed guard during close-quarters contact rather than extending the arm.

OC spray is a inflammatory agent requiring decontamination (fresh air, water, blinking) and does not affect all subjects equally; it is not a substitute for control and restraint.

TASER deployment targets the back or front torso for neuromuscular incapacitation; avoid chest over the heart, head, neck, and groin, and avoid use near flammable liquids.

Handcuffing applies the universal precaution: double-lock, check for tightness, and search before and after cuffing; positional asphyxia risk increases with prone restraint and chest weight.

Ground defense prioritizes framing, shrimping to regain guard, and getting to a standing base; never stay flat on the back with an assailant in top position.

Excited delirium or severe agitation calls for rapid medical response, continuous monitoring, and restraint in a recovery position rather than prolonged prone control.

Deadly force is permitted only to prevent imminent death or serious bodily harm to the officer or another person, and is judged by objective reasonableness under Graham v. Connor.

The four firearm safety rules: treat every firearm as loaded, keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, keep the finger off the trigger until on target, and know the target and what is beyond it.

Drawing and reholstering should be done with the trigger finger straight along the frame; reholstering looks the gun into the holster to avoid clothing obstruction.

A malfunction drill for a failure to fire: tap the magazine, rack the slide, and reacquire the target; for a double feed, lock the slide, strip the magazine, rack, and reload.

Qualification standards in Ohio require annual firearms qualification for peace officers; the OPOTC sets minimum course and scoring, and agencies may impose stricter standards.

Shooting decisions require target identification and a backstop; officers are accountable for every round fired, including misses and pass-throughs.

Post-shooting procedures: render aid, secure the scene and weapon, notify a supervisor, and limit statements until appropriate; the investigation is typically handled by an outside agency or BCI.

De-escalation does not require abandoning force when force is necessary; it requires time, distance, cover, and communication when feasible before force is applied.

Ohio emergency vehicle privileges (R.C. 4511.03) apply only when the vehicle is using lights and siren and the driver does not recklessly disregard others' safety; the duty to drive with due regard remains.

Pursuit policy factors: seriousness of the offense, risk to the public, traffic and weather conditions, road familiarity, and the availability of alternatives such as air support or later apprehension.

The driving decision model: maintain a space cushion, look 12-15 seconds ahead, and use the Smith system - aim high, get the big picture, keep eyes moving, leave an out, and make sure others see you.

Cornering requires slow in, fast out; brake before the turn, accelerate through and out, and avoid braking while the vehicle is at maximum lateral load.

Following distance in emergency response should be at least 4 seconds in good conditions and more in rain, snow, or darkness; ABS braking requires firm, continuous pedal pressure, not pumping.

Intersections are the highest-risk point in emergency response: slow, cover the brake, scan left-right-left, and proceed only when the right of way is clear and other drivers have yielded.

Skid recovery: look and steer where you want to go, ease off the throttle, and avoid hard braking; in a rear-wheel skid, steer into the skid.

Vehicle inspection before shift: brakes, tires, lights, siren, emergency equipment, fluid levels, and radio; document defects and remove the vehicle from service if unsafe.

Adult CPR: 30 chest compressions at 100-120 per minute, at least 2 inches deep, followed by 2 breaths; use an AED as soon as available and follow its prompts.

Severe bleeding control: apply direct pressure, then a tourniquet 2-3 inches above the wound if pressure fails; note the time and do not loosen the tourniquet once applied.

Opioid overdose: administer naloxone (intranasal or intramuscular) and support breathing; repeat every 2-3 minutes if needed, and call for EMS.

Recovery position for an unresponsive but breathing person: roll onto the side, tilt the head, and monitor the airway; do not use if a spinal injury is suspected unless the airway is at risk.

Chest pain protocol: place the person at rest, obtain vital signs, assist with the person's own prescribed nitroglycerin if permitted, and do not delay EMS transport.

Stroke recognition uses BE-FAST: balance, eyes, face droop, arm weakness, speech difficulty, and time of symptom onset; note the onset time for treatment decisions.

AED use: bare and dry the chest, apply pads per the diagram, clear everyone before the shock, and resume CPR immediately after the shock or if no shock is advised.

Heat illness: move to shade, cool actively with water and ice to the neck, armpits, and groin, and treat altered mental status as heat stroke requiring immediate EMS.

The OODA loop - observe, orient, decide, act - is the decision cycle; faster orientation, not just faster action, produces the tactical advantage.

Tactical disengagement is a legitimate option when the risk of continuing outweighs the benefit; document the decision and the reasons with specificity.

Critical decision method: identify the decision point, the options considered, the information available, and the reason for the chosen action; this structure supports both report writing and testimony.

Use-of-force reporting must state the threat perceived, the force used, the reasonableness of the response, and the medical aid rendered, in objective, observable terms.

Contact and cover roles: the contact officer handles communication and control, and the cover officer watches hands, surroundings, and backup needs; roles should be assigned before contact.

Ambush awareness: avoid sitting in a parked patrol car for extended periods, vary routes and parking, and scan for indicators such as unusual loitering or vehicles following the cruiser.

De-escalation sequence: slow down, create distance and cover, use calm verbal engagement, identify yourself, and allow time for compliance before escalating force.

After-action review should capture what happened, what worked, what failed, and what changes are needed; the review is not a disciplinary proceeding but a learning tool.