The Force Investigation Team (FIT) was created in late 2010 to take over the Department’s role in investigating officer-involved shootings and in-custody deaths. In the past, the Homicide section would investigate these cases for the agency and, in the case of officer-involved shootings, present the findings at a Coroner’s Inquest hearing as well as an internal Use of Force Board. Now their role is much different, as FIT only focuses on the criminal aspects of the investigation and the Critical Incident Review Team (CIRT) was created to handle the administrative investigation.

Presently, FIT consists of Captain McKenzie, Lieutenant Damon Young, Sergeant Michelle Iacullo and Detectives Marc Colon, Scott Mendoza, Andrew Ubbens, Gilberto Valenzuela, Robert Chavez and Todd Fasulo Jr. They are tasked with investigating officer-involved shootings, uses of force with substantial bodily harm, and in-custody deaths in the field and Clark County Detention Center, as well as cases where an officer is the victim of a violent crime and/or is substantially injured.

During an officer-involved shooting investigation, FIT’s role is to investigate the event from the criminal aspect. If you are the shooting officer, you will have all the rights afforded to you as a normal citizen and under the Police Officers Bill of Rights, NRS 289. We will be present with our team, the bus and, most importantly, an attorney for you. You will have the opportunity to speak with your attorney, and they will advise you on the legal process, your rights, what you must do regarding the investigation and what you may or may not choose to do regarding the investigation and the attorney’s legal advice. We will then guide you through the rest of the process for the rest of the day or night regarding the investigation of the officer-involved shooting scene by FIT. If you are a witness officer to an officer-involved shooting, you will be required by policy to provide FIT with an interview at the scene regarding your knowledge of the facts and circumstances of what occurred. You will be able to review your body-worn camera footage prior to your interview. A PPA representative will be with you during this interview and it will be recorded. CIRT will also respond and conduct a joint but separate administrative investigation. This also applies to low-lethal deployments under the designated yardage for their use to fall into deadly force and deadly force PIT.

FIT also responds to use-of-force investigations where the subject receives substantial bodily harm from an application of force. Typically, the investigation has two parts: the scene and the hospital. FIT will respond to both locations. The PPA will as well, with our team and attorney. FIT will conduct their investigation in the same manner as an officer-involved shooting. If you were the officer who used force, you will be labeled the involved officer. Again, if you are a witness officer, you will be compelled by policy to provide a statement to FIT after you have reviewed your body-worn camera and will be accompanied by a PPA representative. CIRT will also respond and conduct their joint administrative investigation.

An in-custody death in the field will be handled very similarly to an officer-involved shooting. We are seeing more and more of these events where subjects are committing suicide in the presence of officers on barricades. But regardless of the manner or cause, for an in-custody death in the presence of officers FIT will respond. FIT will work diligently to review all available body-worn camera footage to determine the scope of their investigation and how they label officers based on their actions in the event. FIT carefully weighs the available evidence and will make the determination if an officer is involved or just a witness in the event. If you are labeled involved, it does not mean that you had anything to do with the death of the subject. You could have handcuffed the subject after a struggle and the subject died in our custody. You will, again, have all the rights and protections as in an officer-involved shooting, and we and our attorney will be there to advise you. If you are a witness officer, again, you will have to provide FIT with a statement at the scene with a representative after viewing your body-worn camera. CIRT will also respond and conduct their joint administrative investigation.

An in-custody death at CCDC is very similar to an in-custody death in the field, procedure-wise. The differences are that the scene is typically much smaller and contained to a cell or module, there may only be a few immediate officers who responded and there should be a plethora of video available. As with any investigation, FIT will begin their investigation and review all available evidence. Typically this will all be done on the 12th floor of CCDC. After FIT’s initial review, they will start to conduct interviews based on their needs and interview all witness officers. You will be able to review video evidence with us prior to your interview. If FIT determines the need to label any officer as involved, that officer will have all the same rights as any involved officer by policy and law. We will be present during the process with you.

Lastly, FIT also responds to scenes where officers have been the victims of violent crimes in the line of duty. These could be injuries sustained because of the subject’s use of force, the subject ramming an officer’s patrol car, the subject pointing a firearm at an officer, etc. FIT will vigorously investigate these cases and utilize any other investigative bureau they need to apprehend and charge the subject through their team of district attorneys. This is an area where FIT excels and takes great pride in helping investigate and charge criminals who attack our officers. They will have all the resources available to them from the agency to be utilized in their investigation.

I would like to highlight FIT and the lengths that they, as well as NEAC PD, went to on a recent case. This is a fresh case, so I will not go into detail on it; however, FIT and PD did an amazing investigation and put a violent criminal in jail and hopefully prison for a lengthy time. The event unfolded as two traffic officers observed reckless street racers and attempted to stop them. One of the vehicles attempted to run a traffic officer off the road and fled. A short time later, the subject was apprehended at his residence. NEAC PD and FIT were granted a search warrant for the residence and ultimately found a large quantity of narcotics, a firearm and a large sum of cash. Thankfully, our officer is OK and wasn’t seriously injured. Thanks to the hard work of the patrol squads working that night, PD and FIT, this subject is not out on the roads victimizing our officers and the community we serve.