CRJ 297 - Death & Injury Investigations

Credits: 1
Lecture Hours: 1
Lab Hours: 0
Practicum Hours: 0
Work Experience: 0
Course Type: Voc/Tech

This unit of study is intended to present a wide range of topics related to the investigation of death and injury to the human body, from the standpoint of the investigating police officer. The presentation is intended primarily for law enforcement officers.
Prerequisite: CRJ 100 or Instructor Approval
Competencies

Understand the nature of postmortem changes in the human body, and how important those changes are in death investigations.
Be familiar with common terms regarding death and injury investigations.
Understand the mechanics of how certain injuries occur to, and appear on, the human body as it relates to investigating such matters.
Discuss the various causes of death including homicide, suicide, accidents, and natural.
Distinguish between equivocal and unequivocal deaths, and the approach to such investigations.
Discuss the various professionals commonly involved in death investigations including law enforcement officials, medical professionals, and medical examiners.
Be familiar with identification procedures for human skeletal remains, and how those remains are to be preserved and recovered for investigative purposes.
Understand the nature of injuries common to child abuse victims when investigating such occurrences.
Explain how fire and heat affect the human body when that is present in such investigations.