Oregon Statutes - Chapter 181 - State Police; Crime Reporting and Records; Public Safety Standards and Training - Section 181.789 - Policy relating to use of deadly physical force; collection of information; rules.

(1) As used in this section, “involved officer” means:

(a) A police officer whose official conduct, or official order to use deadly physical force, was a cause in fact of the death of a person. As used in this paragraph, “order to use deadly physical force” means an order issued to another officer to use deadly physical force in a specific incident or an order or directive establishing rules of engagement for the use of deadly physical force for a specific incident.

(b) A police officer whose official conduct was not a cause in fact of the death of a person but whose official involvement in an incident in which the use of deadly physical force by a police officer resulted in the death of a person:

(A) Began before or during the use of the deadly physical force; and

(B) Was reasonably likely to have exposed the police officer to greater stresses or trauma than other police officers experienced as a result of their involvement in the incident before or during the use of the deadly physical force.

(2) A law enforcement agency shall adopt a policy dealing with the use of deadly physical force by its police officers. At a minimum, the policy must include guidelines for the use of deadly physical force.

(3)(a) For each involved officer employed by a law enforcement agency, the law enforcement agency shall pay the costs of at least two sessions with a mental health professional that are attended by the officer. The sessions must be held within six months after the incident in which the officer was involved.

(b) An involved officer shall attend at least one of the sessions described in paragraph (a) of this subsection.

(c) Sessions with a mental health professional under this subsection may not be substituted for a fitness for duty examination required or requested as a condition of employment by the law enforcement agency that employs the involved officer.

(4) For at least 72 hours immediately following an incident in which the use of deadly physical force by a police officer resulted in the death of a person, a law enforcement agency may not return an involved officer to duties that might place the officer in a situation in which the officer has to use deadly physical force. A law enforcement agency may not reduce an involved officer’s pay or benefits as a result of the law enforcement agency’s compliance with this subsection. Notwithstanding ORS 181.796 (1), a personnel cost incurred in complying with this subsection by a law enforcement agency employing 40 or fewer police officers is an expense for purposes of ORS 181.796.

(5)(a) A law enforcement agency employing an involved officer shall include at least one police officer from a different law enforcement agency in the investigation of the incident in which the involved officer was involved.

(b) The failure of a law enforcement agency to comply with paragraph (a) of this subsection is not grounds for suppressing evidence obtained in the investigation.

(6)(a) A law enforcement agency shall collect at least the following information relating to incidents in which a police officer’s use of deadly physical force resulted in the death of a person:

(A) The name, gender, race, ethnicity and age of the decedent.

(B) The date, time and location of the incident.

(C) A brief description of the circumstances surrounding the incident.

(b) A law enforcement agency shall promptly submit the information collected under paragraph (a) of this subsection to the Department of Justice.

(7) The department shall compile and periodically publish information submitted under subsection (6) of this section. The department, by rule, may specify a form to be used by law enforcement agencies in submitting information under subsection (6) of this section. [2007 c.842 §5]

Note: Sections 10 and 17, chapter 842, Oregon Laws 2007, provide:

Sec. 10. A law enforcement agency shall adopt the policy required by section 5 (2) of this 2007 Act [181.789] no later than July 1, 2008. [2007 c.842 §10]

Sec. 17. Notwithstanding the effective date [July 27, 2007] of section 5 of this 2007 Act [181.789], section 5 (3) to (7) of this 2007 Act applies to incidents occurring on or after July 1, 2008. [2007 c.842 §17]

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Last modified: August 7, 2008