What do we do after?

[wlcharm]

From WWW.Gunlaws.com

Post Shooting Procedures
The Cheney Incident on 2/11/06
Special note to my customers, friends and fans --

The following rules generally apply after a shooting incident (accidental or self-defense), whether you are the Vice President of the United States or not. Thanks to my friend Dr. Bruce Eimer, Ph.D., a clinical and forensic psychologist, for reminding me of these important basics, and providing facts. For some mysterious reason, little of this has come out in news reports.

1. All shooting incidents are traumatic for the good guys, especially when innocent people have been hurt.

2. Post-shooting trauma is REAL and every good person involved in a shooting incident gets it. Sleeplessness, flashbacks, disorientation, remorse, malaise and other post-trauma symptoms are routine, expected and must be dealt with.

3. You have no legal obligation to contact or talk to the press, and defense attorneys advise against doing so.

4. A person is least capable of making a coherent and consistent statement, with good word choices and chronological accuracy, immediately after a shooting incident, even though the urge to talk is typically great, and everyone around you will encourage it.

5. Knowing this, the police have adopted good standard procedures you can use as a guide. Remove yourself from all public contact, and go on "administrative leave" (with pay), until an official statement can be released in writing, in cooperation with a team of lawyers, within two weeks.

6. No statement of any kind should be made until conferring with attorneys.

7. You are advised against talking with police unless your lawyer is present.

8. The first concern must be for an injured party. Timely reporting to law enforcement authorities is also essential, and it would be improper for police to leak this to the press (both rules were observed in the Cheney incident).

9. Allow yourself time to appropriately psychologically process your post-shooting psychological trauma, and debrief this critical incident for 24 to 48 hours. Only then should you consider making a statement to the press, the authorities, or anyone. Expressing sadness, contrition and assuming FULL responsibility for the accident (as Cheney did in this case) is appropriate.

10. Do everything you can to avoid such situations.

 

[TSQUARE]

All this is excellent advise, and gives us all something to ponder. I personally have thought this situation over many many times, and one problem keeps surfaceing. DOES ANYONE KNOW OF A GOOD ATTORNEY IN THE TULSA METRO AREA?????????????????????????????????????????????

 

[trade_sniper]

After reading this entire thread, I liked the idea of the lawyer having a card with notes on it. I may not agree with his message, but having a card with notes on it would be very handy, especially after a traumatic event such as what has been discussed here. You definitely will be under a tremendous amount of stress and may not be thinking clearly.

So, I read through the entire thread, plagiarized several posts and came up with a word document that could be printed out, laminated and carried in your wallet near your CCL. I'm attaching the doc file to this post and you can modify or use as necessary. THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE. THIS IS NOT A LEGAL DOCUMENT. I AM NOT A LAWYER, IN FACT I CAN BARELY SPELL THE WORD LAW. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK.

I formatted the document to fit the size of a credit card or drivers license, once laminated (3.375" x 2.125"), just cut it around the outline provided. You may just want to print it on a regular, single sheet of paper, then cut it out and have it laminated or whatever.

Basically it says the following:

(front of card):

Post Self-Defense Procedures:
1. Ensure primary threat is neutralized. Ensure their weapon is out of reach. Inform Officer if you touched the weapon.

2. Ensure there are no other threats, then secure your weapon.

3. Call 911 and say: "There has been a violent incident at *Address*. Please send the Police. My name is *Name* and I am wearing *Clothing Description*."

4. Keep the scene secure until law enforcement arrives. Identify possible witnesses. Ask them not to leave the scene.



(back side of card):

5. When Officer arrives, tell him: “Officer, that man there tried to kill me. I feared for my life and I shot him in self-defense. I know you have an investigation to do and I will gladly cooperate and sign any complaints against the man who tried to kill me.”

6. Point out any witnesses to the incident.

7. Say: “Officer, I am very upset right now, and I do not feel that I can make a statement at this time. Before discussing any of the details of this incident, I'd like to speak to my attorney first and will fully cooperate with your investigation then, after I have composed myself.” Say nothing else until you speak to your attorney.



Anyway, I just thought that I'd like to have something like this with me in case of an unfortunate event such as this and I thought I'd share it.

I too would like to know the name of a good defense attorney in Tulsa who has experience defending self-defense cases, or at least defending ACTUAL innocent people. I would like to write his number in the margins of this card before I laminate it. There just wasn't enough room for another line on the card and still allow the printer to print within its margins or I would have added a line for this.

Now, will having this card in my possession present any problems? Surely not some type of premeditation? I carry a gun 'just in case', same for having the card. Just want to make sure I'm not putting myself in a worse situation. What are your thoughts Mike?

 

[mudpup]

If still alive,

A good idea, But... I think you might want to remove those three words.

 

[trade_sniper]

Good catch. I edited the post, edited the word doc, deleted the previous attachment and uploaded the new version.

 

[trade_sniper]

Although I didn't want to make it sound like they would automatically be dead, just neutralized, that is the point, not to kill, just to stop the threat.

 

[Michael Brown]

Eliminate the do not use hands part from number 1 and definitely eliminate the hang up part from number 3.

If you hang up you are not able to provide updated information to the same person you just talked to and may not even be able to get through.

This is critical information to responding officers who treat situations involving self-defense very differently that "shootings" with no other information.

It will probably not change anything in terms of prosecution but it can have dramatic effects on short-term survival (i.e. surviving the police response).

Michael Brown

 

[trade_sniper]

I understand the part about hanging up. Why remove the 'do not use hands' portion? I wouldn't want my fingerprints on the BGs weapon. I just want some clarification, then I will make the modifications and upload again. Thanks Mike.

 

[Michael Brown]

I will not get into investigative specifics online but using your hands to dislodge a suspect's weapon is not a problem for investigating officers.

Just make sure they know.

Michael Brown

 

[F16mickey]

Could you not delete 1&2. It seems that if these have not been done you shouldn't be reading it from a card. These Items should be automatic especially item 2 as this is something you could practice every time you draw/reholster. It would add the room you needed to print the lawyer's name and telephone number.