In the wake of national concerns about how law enforcement agencies handle officer-involved shootings, Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons sat down with (We Don’t) Color on the Dog to walk through the comprehensive process his agency follows when deadly force is used.
Multi-Agency Review Process
The Sheriff stressed that transparency begins immediately after an officer-involved shooting occurs. “We try to be as transparent as possible when we have to use any force, but certainly when we have to use deadly force or an officer involved shooting.”
The process involves multiple layers of oversight. “We contact the state attorney’s office. We typically contact a representative or an agent from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to actually respond to the scene,” Simmons said. “We can do our own crime scene, but FDLE also comes and they do crime scene as well. So there’s this redundancy with regards to crime scene.”
Immediate Administrative Actions
Deputies involved in shootings are immediately placed on paid administrative leave throughout the investigation. Simmons noted that he typically issues a brief public statement containing basic information about the incident, including dates, times, and the nature of the initial call.
The Role of Video Evidence
Body camera and in-car camera footage play a crucial role in the investigative process. “If I have a body camera or if I have an in-car camera and it’s something that I’ve reviewed and I know that’s not going to change, these facts are not going to change from the day of the occurrence to three months from now or three years from now, sometimes we’ll put that information out.”
However, he cautioned about rushing to judgment based solely on video.
- “There’s a lot more to it than just a video,” he noted, pointing to concerns about doctored footage and AI-generated content in today’s environment. “We want to make sure we have all of the information before we come out and make a comment. I think that’s how professionals handle things.”
FDLE’s Investigative Role
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement conducts an independent investigation, running down all leads and conducting witness interviews.
- “They’ll determine whether it’s criminal or non-criminal to the State Attorney’s Office,” Simmons explained. “They’ll present that to the State Attorney’s Office who will make that determination as to whether it is criminal or non-criminal.”
Internal Affairs Review
The Sheriff’s Office conducts its own concurrent internal investigation, but coordinates carefully with FDLE.
- “We don’t want to talk to a witness before the FDLE talks to the witness,” Simmons said. “Many times, we’ll take those witness, those sworn statements that FDLE gathers, and we’ll use those as part of our internal investigation.”
Internal Affairs examines whether any policy violations occurred, even when the shooting itself is deemed justified.
Training and Preparation
Simmons highlighted the extensive use-of-force training deputies receive. “We’re always training on the use of force and the levels of force and what is reasonable considering the circumstances at the time,” he said.
The agency also learns from incidents nationwide. “Once this Minneapolis thing is settled, we will have all the video. We will use that in our training and say, okay, let’s talk about this,” Simmons explained, describing how administrators share experiences at conferences to improve practices.
“That’s what professionals do,” he concluded.
