Number
200309
Version
SUBSTITUTE 1
Reference
Sponsor
ALD. RAINEY, STAMPER, COGGS, DODD, LEWIS AND HAMILTON
Title
Substitute resolution directing the Department of Administration - Intergovernmental Relations Division to seek introduction and passage of legislation relating to medical reports of persons injured or killed in officer-involved incidents.
Analysis
This resolution directs the Department of Administration - Intergovernmental Relations Division to seek introduction and passage of legislation amending s. 175.47, Wis. Stats, to require that, in an officer-involved death, the official medical report determining a victim’s cause and manner of death will be the report commissioned by the victim’s family, if so commissioned.
Body
Whereas, Cause of death is typically determined by a county or other publicly-employed coroner or medical examiner, who is responsible for examining a body, reviewing relevant medical records, investigating the circumstances surrounding the person’s death, and, using his or her training, expertise and judgement, determining the manner and cause of death; and
Whereas, When a person is killed in a police officer-involved incident, the person’s manner and cause of death is a critical piece of information in determining how the incident is portrayed in the media, whether the police officer bears culpability for his or her actions, in disciplinary actions by police departments, and in criminal and civil proceedings; and
Whereas, In relation to police officer-involved deaths, a disturbing trend has been reported in which misleading language and questionable diagnoses by county or other publicly-employed coroners and medical examiners inaccurately portray both how a person died, the relevance of a person’s previous medical history, and the degree to which the actions or inactions of the involved officer or officers contributed to the person’s death; and
Whereas, In order to pursue justice for victims of officer-involved deaths...
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