What should a use of force incident documentation include?

• A. Narrative description with times, locations, involved personnel, injuries; include medical evaluation; supervisor review; complete use-of-force reports and incident log.
• B. Only a brief description
• C. A video recording is sufficient without narrative
• D. No documentation is required

Answer: (A)

The essential idea is to create a complete, traceable record of the incident that can support accountability, investigation, and any follow-up actions. A thorough documentation should include a narrative that covers when and where the event happened, who was involved, what actions were taken, and any injuries observed. It should also note any medical evaluation or treatment, so medical findings are officially documented and linked to the incident. The supervisor’s review is important to ensure policy compliance, identify potential issues, and add supervisory accountability. Finally, having the full use-of-force report alongside the incident log creates an official, retrievable record that supports investigations, training, and oversight.

Relying on only a brief description misses critical context, a video alone lacks narrative detail and medical information, and no documentation at all fails to meet policy and legal requirements.