Documentation, Reporting, and Legal Issues at Crime Scenes Practice Questions

25 multiple-choice questions on Documentation, reporting, and legal issues at crime scenes for paramedic and EMT students, from Chapter 53 (Crime Scene Awareness). Read each question, pick your answer, then tap Show answer to check it and read the explanation.

25 practice questions

1. During transport, police ask you to question a shooting suspect about the crime and report what he says. You should:

   1. A. Ask and tell police what he says
   2. B. Ask only what you need for his care
   3. C. Ask once he has been read his rights
   4. D. Ask him while an officer records the talk
   Show answer

   Answer: B. Ask only what you need for his care

   Questioning a patient about a crime on behalf of police can make you an agent of law enforcement and raise legal problems with his statements. Limit questions to what care requires and document anything he volunteers. Passing his answers to police turns you into their investigator. Miranda warnings do not make crime questioning part of medical care. Having an officer record the questions makes it a police interview conducted by you.

2. An officer asks you to write in your report that a shooting victim is a gang member, based on his tattoos. You should:

   1. A. Write 'gang member' as the officer asked
   2. B. Leave the tattoos out of the report fully
   3. C. Describe the tattoos, not his affiliation
   4. D. Write 'probable gang member' as a guess
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Describe the tattoos, not his affiliation

   Your report records what you observe, such as the location and appearance of tattoos. Calling a patient a gang member is a conclusion you cannot verify, and it can prejudice his care and any later case.

3. A man shot in the chest gasps, 'I'm dying... it was my brother Tony who shot me,' and then loses consciousness. You should:

   1. A. Document his words, the time, and who heard
   2. B. Leave it out, since he may not be oriented
   3. C. Tell the family at once who the shooter is
   4. D. Write that his brother is the likely shooter
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Document his words, the time, and who heard

   A statement about the cause of death by a person who believes death is imminent (a dying declaration) may be admissible in court. Record his exact words, the time, and who was present; naming a suspect yourself is beyond your role.

4. A man in custody says, 'The officer slammed my head on the car,' while the officer stands nearby. He has a forehead abrasion. You should:

   1. A. Leave out his claim to avoid a conflict
   2. B. Quote him and describe the abrasion
   3. C. Write that the officer caused the injury
   4. D. Record the officer's account instead of his
   Show answer

   Answer: B. Quote him and describe the abrasion

   Objectivity applies no matter who is accused: record the patient's statement in quotation marks and describe the injury by location, size, and appearance, and you may also record the officer's account attributed to him. Leaving the claim out hides relevant information. Writing that the officer caused the injury states a conclusion you did not witness. Replacing his account with the officer's misattributes the history.

5. During transport, a man under arrest suddenly says, 'I didn't mean to shoot her.' You did not ask about the crime. You should:

   1. A. Omit it, since he has not been read his rights
   2. B. Ask follow-up questions about the shooting
   3. C. Write 'patient admits to the shooting' instead
   4. D. Record his exact words and the time
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Record his exact words and the time

   Miranda warnings govern police interrogation; a spontaneous statement made to EMS is not barred and may become evidence, so record it word for word in quotation marks with the time and who heard it. Leaving it out because of Miranda misapplies the rule. Asking about the crime goes beyond what care requires. Rewording it as an 'admission' changes what he said.

6. At a crime scene, which information about law enforcement should be in your report?

   1. A. The officers' theory of what happened
   2. B. Which officers seemed most helpful
   3. C. Officers' names or badge numbers
   4. D. When each officer left the scene
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Officers' names or badge numbers

   Recording which officers were present and who received evidence or information supports the chain of custody and lets the report be matched to the police record. Opinions about officers do not belong, an officer's theory of the crime goes in the police report rather than yours, and departure times rarely matter unless that officer received evidence or information from you.

7. Your report on a homicide should describe the patient's position when you found him because:

   1. A. It establishes the exact time of death
   2. B. Investigators may use it to reconstruct the event
   3. C. It proves that the patient was already deceased
   4. D. It lets the medical examiner skip a visit to the scene
   Show answer

   Answer: B. Investigators may use it to reconstruct the event

   You may be the only person who saw the body before it was moved. A note such as 'found supine in kitchen, head toward back door' helps investigators reconstruct what happened. Position helps, but it does not set the time of death or prove death on its own, and the medical examiner still examines the scene and body.

8. You told police at the scene that your patient, a child with bruises, may have been abused. They say they will handle it. Regarding your duty to report:

   1. A. You must still make your own report per law
   2. B. Your duty is met now that police are aware
   3. C. You need to report once the child is admitted
   4. D. You should wait until the hospital confirms it
   Show answer

   Answer: A. You must still make your own report per law

   Mandatory reporting duties are personal; telling an officer at the scene does not usually satisfy them. File your own report to the designated agency as your state requires. Police awareness does not discharge your duty. Admission has nothing to do with the duty, which arises from reasonable suspicion. Waiting for confirmation delays protection, and reporters need suspicion, not proof.

9. The defense attorney for a man charged with assault subpoenas you to testify about the victim's injuries. You should:

   1. A. Ignore it, as you were called by EMS for the victim
   2. B. Refuse; you work with the prosecution
   3. C. Contact the victim to plan your testimony
   4. D. Comply with it and notify your agency
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Comply with it and notify your agency

   A subpoena is a court order, whichever side issues it. Notify your agency, review your report, and testify truthfully; EMS witnesses are not on the side of either party.

10. When testifying about a victim's injuries in front of a jury, you should:

    1. A. Use exact medical terms to sound expert
    2. B. Offer your view on who is guilty
    3. C. Use plain language a juror can follow
    4. D. Face the attorney who called you as you answer
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Use plain language a juror can follow

    Clear, plain language helps jurors understand your observations; explain any medical term you must use. Jargon used to sound expert loses the jury. Opinions on guilt are not your role and damage your credibility. Jurors are the audience, so answers are directed toward them, not to the attorney who called you.

11. A neighbor at a stabbing scene asks you whether the victim is going to survive. You should:

    1. A. Politely decline to discuss the patient
    2. B. Tell her, since she is a neighbor
    3. C. Give a general prognosis without the details
    4. D. Tell her if the victim seems to know her
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    Answer: A. Politely decline to discuss the patient

    Patient information, including condition and prognosis, is confidential. Bystanders, even neighbors, are not entitled to it; refer questions to police or family as appropriate. Being a neighbor creates no right to know. A general prognosis is still protected health information. Seeming to know the victim does not make her someone the patient has authorized.

12. A detective calls your station and asks whether the stabbing victim you treated last night is HIV-positive. You should:

    1. A. Tell him; it may matter for the case
    2. B. Share it once he gives his badge number
    3. C. Answer, since police may see medical records
    4. D. Decline and direct the request to records
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Decline and direct the request to records

    HIPAA allows limited disclosures to law enforcement in specific circumstances, but a phone request for sensitive diagnoses does not meet those rules. Direct formal requests to your agency's records custodian or privacy officer.

13. At a shooting, the officer on scene asks where you are taking the victim and the general nature of his wounds. You should:

    1. A. Refuse, since the information is private
    2. B. Wait to tell him until the patient consents
    3. C. Share what is needed to report the crime
    4. D. Give him a copy of your full patient report
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    Answer: C. Share what is needed to report the crime

    HIPAA permits disclosures needed to report a crime or required by law, such as gunshot wound reporting, and destination and general injuries usually fall within this. A full record is not needed and requires a proper legal request.

14. A week after a homicide call, a detective asks you to change your report so that the times match a witness's statement. You should:

    1. A. Change the times, since the detective knows the case best
    2. B. Refuse, adding a labeled addendum only for true new facts
    3. C. Delete the original report and write a corrected version
    4. D. Change the times that differ by less than 5 minutes
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    Answer: B. Refuse, adding a labeled addendum only for true new facts

    Altering a report to fit someone else's account is falsification. If you truly recall something new, add a dated, labeled addendum; the original entry stays as it was. The detective's knowledge of the case does not change what you observed. Deleting the original destroys a legal record. Small changes are still falsification.

15. Resuscitation of a stabbing victim is stopped at the scene, and the medical examiner will examine the body. Your report must clearly list:

    1. A. Your opinion on the cause of death
    2. B. What neighbors said about the suspect
    3. C. Each needle, IO, and pad site
    4. D. The family's account of the argument
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    Answer: C. Each needle, IO, and pad site

    The medical examiner must tell injuries from resuscitation marks, and IV and IO punctures, needle decompression sites, airway trauma, and defibrillator pad marks can look like wounds; document each site and attempt and leave devices in place per protocol. The cause of death is the medical examiner's determination, not yours. What neighbors said and the family's account of the argument are not your observations; if you record statements, attribute them, but they do not replace the procedure list.

16. A patient swung his fist at you, and you pushed him away to escape. Your report on the event should:

    1. A. Leave out the push to protect yourself
    2. B. Describe his actions and your push
    3. C. Call him 'combative' with no other details
    4. D. Say he was restrained for crew safety
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    Answer: B. Describe his actions and your push

    Any force you use must be justified, so record the threat (what he did and said), exactly what you did, why, and that you stopped once you were safe. Leaving out the push looks like concealment if it comes out later. 'Combative' is a label without facts. Claiming a restraint that did not happen is false documentation.

17. After a homicide call, the best time to complete your patient care report is:

    1. A. After reading news reports, to fill in gaps
    2. B. After talking with police to match their facts
    3. C. At the end of the week, when you have more time
    4. D. As soon as possible, from your own memory
    Show answer

    Answer: D. As soon as possible, from your own memory

    A prompt report, written from your own observations, is most accurate and most credible in court. Borrowing details from the news or police can introduce errors and makes it unclear what you actually saw.

18. When you document a shooting victim's clothing, the most useful entry describes:

    1. A. Tears, stains, and holes, and what you cut
    2. B. The brand names and prices of each garment
    3. C. Whether his clothing seemed gang-related
    4. D. The items still on him at the hospital
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    Answer: A. Tears, stains, and holes, and what you cut

    Investigators compare holes and stains in clothing with wounds and the scene. Noting existing damage and exactly where you cut helps separate your actions from the crime. Brands and prices do not help the investigation. Calling clothing gang-related is a conclusion, not an observation. Listing what remained at the hospital misses the damage and your cuts, which matter most.

19. A woman with dark skin says she was punched in the face and ribs. You see no clear bruising. You should document:

    1. A. That there are no injuries from the assault
    2. B. That bruises will appear in a day or two
    3. C. Swelling, tenderness, and pain sites
    4. D. Her account, leaving out the exam findings
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    Answer: C. Swelling, tenderness, and pain sites

    Bruises are harder to see on darker skin and may take hours to appear, so swelling, tenderness, warmth, abrasions, and where she reports pain are the objective findings to record. Writing 'no injuries' because you see no color change is inaccurate and can harm her case. Predicting that bruises will appear is speculation. Leaving out your exam omits what you found.

20. An officer at the scene asks you to write a separate statement about what you saw at a shooting. You should:

    1. A. Refuse, since a PCR is all you may write
    2. B. Follow agency policy, sticking to facts
    3. C. Write your theory of what happened
    4. D. Copy the patient's full medical history
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Follow agency policy, sticking to facts

    Many agencies allow or require witness statements, often reviewed by a supervisor or legal counsel. Keep them factual and limited to what you saw and did; medical details beyond that are protected.

21. You testify at a trial two years after a call. On the stand, you cannot recall a detail that is not in your report. You should:

    1. A. Say that you do not remember
    2. B. Give your best guess
    3. C. Describe what you usually do instead
    4. D. Ask the attorney what the others said
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Say that you do not remember

    Honest testimony includes admitting what you do not remember. Guessing or describing routine practice as if you recalled it can be exposed on cross-examination and damage your credibility.

22. Police tell you their body cameras recorded your whole call at a shooting, so a short report will do. You should:

    1. A. Keep it brief and refer to the video
    2. B. Watch the video, then write the report from it
    3. C. Have police attach the video in place of it
    4. D. Write a complete report anyway
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Write a complete report anyway

    Your patient care report is the medical and legal record of your own assessment, findings, care, and reasoning, and it must stand on its own; a police video belongs to another agency, may not capture what you saw, felt, or decided, and may not be available to the hospital or a court. Keeping it brief and pointing to the video leaves your record incomplete. Writing from the video replaces your own observations with someone else's recording. Police footage cannot be substituted for a medical record.

23. A 30-year-old woman punched by a stranger has a minor cut lip. She has capacity and says she does not want police involved. Her injury is not one your state requires you to report. You should:

    1. A. Call police anyway, since a crime has clearly occurred
    2. B. Refuse to treat her until she agrees to report
    3. C. Respect her choice, give resources, and document it
    4. D. Leave her choice out of your report to protect her
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    Answer: C. Respect her choice, give resources, and document it

    Outside mandatory reporting categories (such as child or elder abuse or gunshot wounds in most states), a competent adult decides whether to involve police. Respect her decision, offer resources, and document it accurately.

24. When describing a patient's statements about a crime, you should avoid phrases such as 'patient claims' because they:

    1. A. Suggest that you doubt the patient's account
    2. B. Count as a legal opinion EMS may not offer
    3. C. Read as hearsay that a court cannot admit as evidence
    4. D. Make it unclear who was speaking
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    Answer: A. Suggest that you doubt the patient's account

    Words such as 'claims' or 'alleges' can imply disbelief and may be read as bias. Neutral phrases such as 'patient states' report the account without judging it. The wording is not a legal opinion, and statements recorded for medical care are often admitted in court; the problem is the suggestion of doubt.

25. You were assaulted by a patient during a call. When documenting the event, you should:

    1. A. Write that he is a dangerous criminal
    2. B. Describe exactly what he did and said
    3. C. Leave it out to avoid hurting his case
    4. D. Wait to write it until charges are filed
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    Answer: B. Describe exactly what he did and said

    An assault on a provider should be documented as objectively as any other event: specific actions, words in quotes, injuries, and responses. Labels add nothing and can undermine the report.