RT Article
T1 Expanding Research on Investigations of Officer-Involved Shootings: An Experimental Evaluation of Question Timing on Police Officers’ Memory Recall
JF Criminal justice and behavior
VO 49
IS 7
SP 1031
OP 1049
A1 Schnell, Cory
A1 Spencer, M. Dylan
A1 Mancik, Ashley
A1 Porter, Louise E.
A1 Ready, Justin
A1 Alpert, Geoffrey P.
A2 Spencer, M. Dylan
A2 Mancik, Ashley
A2 Porter, Louise E.
A2 Ready, Justin
A2 Alpert, Geoffrey P.
LA English
YR 2022
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1805596926
AB The timing of an investigation after an officer-involved shooting (OIS) is influenced by conflicting forces. The public demands expedited resolution, but police officers are provided several protections that can delay investigations of their actions. This study conducts a randomized experiment to determine the impact of question timing after an OIS on the accuracy of police officers’ memory recall. Officers were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The treatment group completed a questionnaire after participating in a live-action, active shooter training scenario and again 2 days later, whereas the control group only completed the questionnaire 2 days later. Our findings suggest the timing of interviews after training did not influence officers’ recall of the scenario. There is little empirical understanding of how police officers reconstruct OIS events; further interdisciplinary research can help clarify these cognitive processes. This research could strengthen a traditional pathway to provide accountability for officers through investigations.
K1 randomized experiment
K1 Use of force
K1 memory recall
K1 Investigations
K1 Officer-involved shooting
DO 10.1177/00938548211035824