Seattle Police Manual

15.330 – Responding to Threats & Assaults on Officers

Effective Date: 04/17/2013

15.330-POL

This policy applies to circumstances when an officer has been threatened and/or assaulted. 

1. The Homicide Unit Shall Respond on a Callout Basis to Investigate All Serious Assaults on Officers

Serious assaults include:

• Any intentional assault where the officer sustains great bodily harm (RCW 9A.04.110.c) or substantial bodily harm (RCW 9A.04.110.b)
• Any assault where the officer loses consciousness as a result of the assault
• Any incident approved for investigation by the Homicide lieutenant

See 15.330-PRO-1 Investigating Serious Assaults on Officers

 2. Officers Who Have Been the Subject of a Threat or Assault Shall Complete a Hazard Report

Officers shall complete a Hazard Report (Form 5.38) whenever a suspect has taken any actions that meet at least one of the following criteria for the WACIC Person of Interest (POI) File:

• Any physical assault or attempted physical assault on an officer
• Threats of physical violence toward a criminal justice employee or his/her family
• Specific threats to a department or multiple employees of a law enforcement agency
• Threats of “suicide by cop”
• Threats to criminal justice personnel from other states
• If a lateral hire from another state believes that a person of interest may follow him to Washington, he may complete a Hazard Report containing the information from the other state.

a. Officers Who Were Witnesses to an Assault or Threat Shall Not Submit a Hazard Report

b. A New Hazard Report Must be Completed for Each Incident, Even if the Suspect is Already in the WACIC POI File

c. Officer Shall Submit Hazard Reports by the End of the Shift

Officers shall submit completed Hazard Reports to their sergeant by the end of the shift, unless their sergeant approves an extension of time not more than 72 hours. 

3. The Watch Lieutenant/Incident Commander Shall Screen the Incident and Advise the Duty Captain

4. The Watch Lieutenant/Incident Commander Will Advise the Bureau Chief of the Incident via the Chain of Command

The watch lieutenant/incident commander will send an e-mail entitled “Officer Safety Hazard” through the chain of command to the Bureau Chief. 

• The e-mail will contain the General Offense number.

5. A Lieutenant or Captain Must Approve Hazard Reports and Forward Them to the Data Center as Soon as Possible

6. Data Center Personnel Will Enter the Information Into WACIC

Data Center personnel will enter the information into the WACIC POI File and an Officer Safety Advisory will then be permanently attached to the suspect’s name.

• If information is obtained that the individual is no longer a hazard to officers, officers may submit a written request through their chain of command to have the individual removed from the POI File.

15.330-PRO-1 Investigating Serious Assaults on Officers

Officer

1. Notifies a sergeant of the incident

Sergeant                                

2. Notifies the watch lieutenant/incident commander

Watch Lieutenant/Incident Commander       

3. Notifies the duty captain

4. Notifies the on-call Homicide sergeant

Homicide Sergeant 

5. Screens the incident

6. Determines whether it will be necessary to dispatch Homicide detectives to the scene

a. If a response to the scene will be necessary, notifies the Homicide lieutenant or captain and the on-call Homicide detective to respond to the scene

b. If a response to the scene will not be necessary, screens the decline with the Homicide lieutenant or captain

• If there is no Homicide response to the scene, assigns the case to a Homicide detective the next working day

Homicide Lieutenant or Captain

7. Oversees the investigation, per the Homicide Unit manual

15.330–PRO-2 Completing Hazard Reports and Entering Them Into WACIC

Officer

1. Completes a Hazard Report

2. Articulates the POI File criteria in the narrative

a. If completing a Use-of-Force Report, includes a photocopy of the Hazard Report

3. Collects all Hazard Reports from the same incident and creates a packet

4. Submits Hazard Report packet to a sergeant by the end of shift

Sergeant

5. Reviews Hazard Reports

6. Completes Section I

7. Submits Hazard Reports to a watch lieutenant or section captain

    Lieutenant or Captain

8. Sends an email entitled “Officer Safety Hazard” and containing the GO number through the chain of command to the Bureau Chief

9. Reviews Hazard Reports

10. Submits to Data Center via inter-department mail

Data Center

11. Reviews Hazard Reports

12. Completes Section J

13. Verifies that a lieutenant or captain has signed Section J

14. Enters suspect from Hazard Reports into the WACIC POI File