CJ 340 Unit 2 Discussion 1
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Purdue Global University *
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340
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Law
Date
Jan 9, 2024
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docx
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Uploaded by GrandFreedomLeopard43
Officer Susie Que is a rookie police officer, and her field training officer (FTO) is Corporal Billy Boswell. It is 2:15 a.m., and they receive a BOLO (Be On the Look Out) that a child was abducted 5 minutes ago from a house 10 blocks away from them. There were two men in a vehicle, and they apparently chloroformed the 2-year-old child. When
the parents heard the commotion and came into the child's room, they saw through the window two men driving off.
There were not many cars on the road, and when Corporal Boswell saw two men in a car
coming from the direction of the abduction. The car matched the vehicle description provided in the BOLO, and he initiated a stop of the vehicle following the successful traffic stop. He ordered both men out of the car and told Officer Que to pat down the driver while he patted down the passenger. Officer Que initially hesitated, but when the corporal told her to do it a second time, she did. Officer Que discovered a concealed gun.
Corporal Boswell then ordered the driver to open the trunk, and when the driver refused, he told Officer Que to take the keys and open it. She did, and they discovered the child.
In the incident involving Officer Que and Corporal Boswell, do you feel either officer
acted improperly? Give specific and detailed reasons to justify your answer(s). In
your response, please consider each of the officer's roles (police officers, field training officer, trainee), professional experience, and the information set they acted upon. What impacts were realized based upon their decision making?
In light of the circumstances surrounding the actions of Corporal Billy Boswell and Officer Susie Que, I firmly believe that both officers acted appropriately and followed the rules and regulations of the law. As the ranking officer, Corporal Boswell, the Field Training Officer, gave direct orders to Officer Que, which she carried out precisely. Although Officer Que hesitated momentarily, which is understandable given her recent graduation from the academy, she quickly regained her composure. She executed a pat-down search on the suspect, given that both officers had probable cause to do so. Probable cause is when police have probable cause to believe that you are participating in criminal activity or that there is evidence of a crime in your vehicle. They can search the car without a warrant (Long, 2023). Officer Que’s search of one of the suspects resulted in the discovery of a concealed gun. Once
the weapon was found, Corporal Boswell ordered Officer Que to open the trunk of the vehicle, which led to the discovery of the abducted child that had been reported missing a few moments prior. As a result of their decision-making, both officers were able to locate the abducted child and apprehend the suspects. Their actions were commendable, and they displayed sound judgment and professionalism, resulting in a positive outcome.
Reference:
Long, H. W., II (2023). When Can the Police Search Your Vehicle Without a Search Warrant When Stopping You for DWI?
https://www.browninglonglaw.com/faqs/when-north-carolina-
police-can-search-a-car-in-a-dwi-case.cfm#:~:text=Probable%20cause.,your%20vehicle
%20without%20a%20warrant
.
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