10-109 - Homicide or Suspicious Death Scene

Policy

The first officer to arrive at a death scene shall notify his/her immediate supervisor. The supervisor shall notify MECC who will then notify Car 710. If a death is suspicious in nature, Car 710 shall make the decision on whether or not to call Car 21 to the scene.

If a suspicious death occurs while Car 710 is off duty, Car 9, the on-scene supervisor or MECC shall notify the Commander of the Violent Crimes Investigation Division. The Commander will make the decision on whether or not to call investigators or Car 21 to the scene.

The supervisor shall also notify the on-duty Watch Commander by telephone, when possible. 

• Request assistance in securing the scene.
• Secure the area where the crime was committed and where the body was found. For an indoor scene, seal off all points of entry and exit. For an outdoor scene, use crime scene tape to immediately rope off the area, securing the largest area possible. Efforts should be made to protect evidence from the elements. Be aware of the possibility of multiple scenes.
• Do not allow any unauthorized persons to enter or leave the scene. Identify any unauthorized persons attempting to enter the scene and relay this information to the on-scene investigator(s). No one shall be permitted to approach the scene until investigators arrive.
• Do not allow anything to be touched or moved at the scene. Do not move a weapon unless it presents an immediate danger. Do not cover the body with anything or allow anyone else to cover the body. If possible, and without disturbing evidence, create a secure environment around the body so that it is not in plain view of the public until the arrival of Homicide or Crime Lab personnel.
• Homicide investigators or Crime Lab personnel shall be responsible for placing a barrier around the body. The decision of whether or not to cover a body shall only be made by Crime Lab personnel, Homicide investigators or the Commander of the Homicide Unit.  
• If covering the body is not possible, the Commander at the scene will use other methods that might be available, i.e., a vehicle, bus, etc. placed to obstruct viewing by the public.
• If the decision to cover a body has been made, the deceased will be covered with a sterile sheet provided by the Medical Examiner’s Office. Car 21 and all Homicide cars have a supply of pre-packaged sheets. The sheet will be property inventoried.
• If anything is touched or moved, inform investigators and document it in the CAPRS report. Do not remove anything from the scene unless instructed by investigators.
• Identify and isolate all witnesses as soon as possible. Identify witnesses by name, date of birth, home address, telephone number, business address, business telephone and business hours. All witnesses will be transported to the Homicide Unit at the direction of the investigator(s) and/or Watch Commander. If a witness refuses to go to the Homicide Unit, inform the investigator(s) or Watch Commander.
• Eliminate sightseeing at the scene, including police. Do not discuss the incident; direct all requests for information to the on-duty Watch Commander.
• Upon arrival, investigators shall be in charge of the scene. The supervisor shall report to the investigator(s) in charge at the scene and shall provide assistance as needed. When released from the scene and based on staffing levels, the supervisor shall direct officers to complete all CAPRS reports. All police personnel present at the scene shall make a statement unless instructed otherwise by investigators.

The Arson Unit will respond to the scene of fire deaths in the City of Minneapolis and file reports related to the origin and cause of the fire. Follow-up investigations of the fire death shall be performed by the Homicide Unit.

Photographs at homicide or suspicious death scenes shall only be taken by Crime Lab personnel or by persons authorized by the Homicide Unit investigators.

At non-suspicious death scenes officers may use department-issued digital cameras to take photographs when approved by a supervisor. Under normal circumstances Car 21 does not collect any type of evidence at a suicide scene; all evidence is collected by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office.

All photographs taken at death scenes are the property of the Minneapolis Police Department and shall be inventoried in the Property and Evidence Unit or retained in the Crime Lab.

• Investigation: A structured process of gathering, examining, and evaluating facts and evidence to determine what occurred, assess compliance with laws and policies, and support appropriate actions or decisions.
• Investigators: All persons from the MPD Homicide unit and Internal Affairs unit who are conducting an investigation of the Critical Incident, unless other Criminal Investigating and Administrative Investigating Entities have been designated by the Chief of Police or their designee.
• Limited English Proficiency: Designates individuals whose primary language is not English and who have a limited ability to read, write, speak, or understand English. LEP individuals may be competent in certain types of communication (e.g. speaking or understanding), but still be LEP for other purposes (e.g. reading or writing). Similarly, LEP designations are context specific. An individual may possess sufficient English language skills to function in one setting, but may find these skills are insufficient in other situations.
• MECC: Minneapolis Emergency Communications Center is the city's 911 center that answers emergency and non-emergency calls and coordinates the appropriate response by public safety services.