Every time an Officer draws and fires his or her Duty Weapon, there is an immediate Investigation by both Internal Affairs, and here in FL, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. BOTH Investigations are extremely in depth, covering EVERY Case the Officer worked on. ANY and ALL claims or Charges against the Officer are Investigated. The shooting itself is painstakingly gone over, and EVERY available witness is questioned.
If the results Warrant Criminal Charges, they are forwarded to the District Attorney. If not, the Criminal Investigation is concluded, but the stigma of having taken a life will haunt the Officer for the rest of his or her life. Even if the shooting was clearly justified, the stigma is nearly impossible to deal with.....
The days of sweeping things under the rug are over, and they shouldn't have been tolerated to begin with.....
Tony V.