Officer Involved Shootings: Legal Rights, Investigations, and Civil Liability

After a line of duty shooting, the officer, the supervisor on scene, and the agency head all make decisions that will be examined in criminal, internal, and civil proceedings. Many agencies have no clear plan for who does what, what an officer’s rights are, or how a statement given in the first hours can affect everything that follows.

This course closes that gap. It covers the criminal and internal representation of officers involved in shootings and the civil liability that follows. It gives officers, investigators, and command staff a working understanding of the process before an incident occurs.

Taught by attorney Rick Courtemanche, this four-hour live online course is for officers, agency heads, administrators, investigators, and supervisors. It covers the rights of the officer, the duties of investigators, and the procedures that apply when an officer or witness is involved in a shooting resulting in death or injury. It addresses everything an officer or witness may have to deal with in the aftermath.

What You Will Learn

• Where officers, investigators, and agency leadership differ in their views after a shooting, and how those differences affect the response

• The supervisor’s role in the aftermath of a shooting, including responsibilities to the involved officer and to the investigation

• The agency head’s role, including policy decisions and obligations to the officer, the agency, and the community

• The rights of the officer and of witnesses during criminal and internal investigations

• What an officer or witness will go through after a shooting, from the first hours through the conclusion of the case

• Criminal representation of officers involved in shootings and how it differs from internal representation

• Civil liability arising from officer involved shootings and how civil exposure relates to the criminal and internal processes

• Voluntary statements, including when they are given, how they are used, and why timing matters

• Critical incident amnesia and memory loss, and how they affect statements and investigator expectations

• Fitness for duty, doctor and expert recommendations, mental training, case law, real cases, and suggested policies agencies can adopt

Who Should Attend Agency heads, administrators, investigators, supervisors, and internal affairs personnel will get the most from this course, and it is open to all members of the criminal justice community, sworn or non-sworn. Command staff set the policies and make the early decisions that shape how a shooting is investigated and defended. Supervisors and investigators are often the first to interact with the involved officer and witnesses. Officers benefit from knowing their rights and what the process will involve before they are ever in it. An agency that waits until after a shooting to learn these procedures is learning them while its officer, its leadership, and its reputation are already under review.

Your Instructor Rick Courtemanche has been a practicing attorney in Florida for 30 years and has more than 20 years of experience in public records law. He served 15 years as Assistant City Attorney and Police Legal Advisor to the Tallahassee Police Department, advising the department on legal matters. He currently serves as Deputy General Counsel for the Florida Bar. Mr. Courtemanche has lectured nationally for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Executive Institute, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Savant Learning Systems, the Florida Records Management Association, and Training Force USA. He has also lectured for Daytona State College, Tallahassee Community College, and several police departments and sheriff’s offices throughout Florida.

Register below to reserve your seat for Wednesday, January 20, 2027, 1:00 to 5:00 PM ET, live online via Zoom.

Cost $224 per person.

Payment Options Credit card online, purchase order, or check. Invoice will be generated prior to class but is not due before. Checks payable to Training Force USA, 7769

McClure Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32312.

Cancellations and Substitutions Registrations are confirmed upon submission and participants are responsible for payment regardless of attendance. Substitutions are welcome at any time by phone, email, or online. If minimum enrollment is not met, the class will transition to an on-demand format and all registered participants will be notified. A full refund is also available.

Questions Phone: 850-556-4544 | Email: contactus@trainingforceusa.com | www.trainingforceusa.com