The Cedar City Police Department responded to an incident involving an armed subject in a mental health crisis, an event that triggers specific investigative protocols for law enforcement agencies in Iron County. The response follows established procedures managed by the Iron/Garfield/Beaver Critical Incident Task Force to ensure professional and impartial investigations of officer-involved incidents.
Police Department Mission
The Cedar City Police Department, which lists its mission as enhancing public safety through expert detection, search, and apprehension while strengthening community trust with dedicated K9 teams, manages incidents involving armed subjects according to strict departmental guidelines. These guidelines are designed to address public safety while maintaining high standards of community interaction.
Task Force Oversight
Because the incident involved an armed subject, it falls under the oversight of the Iron/Garfield/Beaver Critical Incident Task Force. This task force has adopted specific investigative protocols to ensure that investigations of officer-involved incidents, officer use of force causing serious bodily injury, and in-custody deaths occurring in Iron, Garfield, and Beaver counties are conducted with professional thoroughness and impartiality.
Investigative Formats
The task force protocols distinguish between two distinct types of investigations that occur concurrently. The first is a Protocol Investigation, which focuses specifically on the conduct of the law enforcement employee and the subject involved. This investigation is performed independently from administrative reviews. To ensure impartiality, the Task Force Commander for the Protocol investigation must be from an agency not involved in the incident.
Administrative Reviews
The second type of investigation is the Administrative Investigation of the law enforcement employee. This process is conducted by the employer agency and is designed to address specific policy and procedural issues. While the Protocol investigation focuses on the conduct of the parties involved, the results of the administrative review are made available for internal use by the employer agency.
Protocol Invocation
The invocation of these protocols is automatic and immediate in the event of an officer-involved critical incident as defined by Utah Code Annotated section 76-2-408. In such cases, the venue agency is required to immediately contact the Task Force Commander and affirmatively invoke the protocol. Once invoked, the Task Force Commander is responsible for notifying the respective County Attorney and dispatching Task Force personnel to respond.
Evidence and Weapon Handling
In instances where an officer is involved in a shooting, the Protocol Task Force weapons investigator is tasked with inspecting all firearms discharged during the incident. This inspection ensures the proper identification of the owner and the serial number, and the condition of the inspected firearms must be thoroughly documented. Any weapons or instruments collected are to be stored in the venue agency's evidence storage facility until testing is complete.
Scene Management Protocols
The protocols also mandate specific procedures for scene security and evidence preservation. Each agency is responsible for securing the scenes within its jurisdiction until all investigations are completed. Protocol investigators are responsible for documenting the scene and collecting, preserving, and analyzing physical evidence, and their investigation of the crime scene takes precedence over administrative investigations.
