Officer-Involved Shooting and Use-of-Force

Duration: 5 Days

Cost: From $675.00

Instructor: Mark Kollar

Professional Development Hours: 40 PD hours

Course Overview

This comprehensive 40-hour program is designed to equip law enforcement professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to investigate use-of-force incidents with thoroughness, professionalism, and impartiality. Given the critical nature of officer-involved shooting and use-of-force cases, this course emphasizes the investigative best practices essential for maintaining public trust and agency legitimacy.

Course Focus

Law enforcement officers carry the unique responsibility of exercising lawful force, including deadly force, based on split-second decisions. However, such actions must be thoroughly investigated to ensure they were justified and reasonable. Without proper investigation protocols, community relationships suffer, agency credibility is compromised, and civil litigation, departmental reputation, and the freedom of those involved can all be negatively affected. This course addresses these critical concerns through a systematic, standardized investigative approach.

Key Topics Covered

Participants will learn investigative best practices tailored to modern circumstances, including:

• Development of an investigative model specific to use-of-force and officer-involved shooting incidents
• Practical checklists, templates, forms, reports, and policies for immediate agency implementation
• Social media implications and management strategies
• Video analysis techniques covering body cameras, dash cameras, cell phone recordings, and surveillance footage
• Media relations and public communication management
• Legal considerations relevant to use-of-force investigations
• Crime scene processing and incident reconstruction methods
• Advanced documentation techniques using 3D scans and drone overhead footage

Course Outcomes

Upon completion, attendees will possess the expertise to appropriately investigate, document, and present findings for any use-of-force incident, including those resulting in serious bodily injury or death, using current technology and addressing contemporary legal and political contexts.

Schedule

This intensive program spans five days with the following schedule: Days one through four run from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM local time, and the final day runs from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM local time.

Target Audience

This course is intended for sworn law enforcement officers and prosecuting attorneys or district attorneys at federal and state levels.