Cj 499-01 Unit 3 Crime Scenario Analysis - 1733 Words

Unit Three Assignment James Norris Kaplan University CJ499-01 Professor Johnson January 26, 2016 Scenario: Police Officer Jones, in full uniform, was walking the midnight shift in a high-crime area at approximately 2:00 AM and is approached by a civilian who told Officer Jones she had been robbed and beaten by someone wearing a red shirt and white pants. The victim’s shirt was blood soaked from a severe laceration to her head and lip. She said the perpetrator was wearing a ski mask so she was unable to determine the gender/sex of the individual, as well as the race/ethnicity. However, she was able to inform Officer Jones that the perpetrator was approximately 5’8† tall and had a gun. The perpetrator stole her wallet and was†¦show more content†¦Even though these crimes were predicated on false information, it is information the officer was provided with that lead to the inception of the use of force (Revised Code of Washington, 2016). The actual crimes committed are Violation of the Uniform Controlled Substance Act (VUCSA) with Intent to Deliver RCW 69.50.401, Making a False or Misleading Statement to a Public Servant RCW 9A.76.175, and either assault III or IV with a Domestic Violence (DV) identifier, again dependent upon the extent of injury and how â€Å"severe† the laceration. One could also argue for a charge of Obstructing a Law Enforcement Officer RCW 9A.76.020 (Revised Code of Washington, 2016). A possible civil action stemming from the provided scenario would arise as a violation of the suspect’s Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable search and seizure. Most lawsuits of violations of a subject’s Fourth Amendment rights are against unreasonable search, seizure and any use of force is properly analyzed as a seizure (U.S. Code, 1983). The Supreme Court has stated that the calculus of the propriety of an officer’s use of force must include the fact that officers are often forced to make split-second decisions in circumstances that are tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving. Officers who use force in the street are judged under the Objective Reasonableness