Melissa E. Holsman, and Laurie K. Blandford
ST. LUCIE COUNTY—A grand jury may have cleared two Fort Pierce police officers in the shooting death of Demarcus Semer, but the panel had plenty to criticize about the department’s use of video and lack of officer training.
The grand jury, which described Semer’s April 23 death following a traffic stop as “an unmitigated tragedy,” found a lack of training with how Fort Pierce police officers engage with citizens and criticized the department’s use of video, especially inside patrol cars.
Although grand jury members didn’t conclude a failure in training caused the tragedy, they recommended a renewed emphasis with the city’s help in terms of financial support.
The Police Department will begin an administrative review of the incident to determine if actions were in compliance with policy and training, according to a news release on the city's website.
The panel released a 22-page report Tuesday detailing a host of recommendations for the Fort Pierce Police Department and sought answers.
“The question is how does the (Fort Pierce Police Department) bridge the gap between the absolute necessity of ensuring the safety of its officers and its duty to protect and serve the public?” the panel asked in its report. “At the end of the day, the answer is going to have to be training.”
The panel noted there was no video of the encounter between Semer and Officer Ralph Keith Holmes and Sgt. Brian MacNaught before, during or after Semer’s death.
Specifically, the panel found the following:
- The department’s in-car camera equipment, called the Arbitrator system, was installed in 80 percent of patrol cars, but there’s “no formalized training program in place,” and some officers received no training on the system at all.
- Confusion exists regarding when a vehicle’s in-car video system was automatically initiated; it was recommended that all cruisers equipped with cameras “be immediately configured in a uniform manner.”
- Supervising officers were not regularly checking their officer’s video system to make sure it functioned, and it was recommended supervisors “should be required to check the operability of the Arbitrator system in each officer’s vehicle” at the beginning of each shift."We do not believe that supervisors are regularly checking the officer's Arbitrator to ensure that it is functioning," the report stated. "When performed, we believe that such checks are being perfunctorily executed."
- Officers were encouraged to upload video from their vehicles at the end of each shift, which the panel concluded hadn’t been the practice for four years."Videos must be manually uploaded by the officer and this can be done from any location via the Internet," the panel wrote. "We are concerned that a lack of oversight relative to the uploading of video creates a potential weakness in the policy."
- The use of body cameras was encouraged, but the panel noted issues of privacy and expense that go with outfitting an entire agency."It is evident to us that the (police department) has significant issues with the allocation of the limited resources it receives from the city," the report noted. "In the event the city ofFort Pierce wishes to consider implementing a body camera protocol,it isincumbent upon the City Council to adequately fund that endeavor.”
Regarding training, the panel found the way officers act during traffic stops has a long-term impact on how citizens view law enforcement. The grand jury members concluded officers who develop their interpersonal skills with citizens can reduce the need of force during a traffic stop when possible.
The report identified three areas related to officer engagement:
- De-escalation training: This may calm a situation, avoid the need to use force and prevent harm to officers and citizens. It focuses on slowing down situations that don’t pose an immediate threat to give officers time to resolve encounters peacefully.
- Scenario-based training: This presents a story line, using live role players, and is used to test judgment, speed and precision under stressful conditions. It helps combine theoretical learning with practical training. It’s an effective tool to address tactical errors, such as an officer standing in front of a running vehicle to prevent it from leaving the scene and increasing the likelihood the officer may have to resort to deadly force. The department should rewrite its training procedures to require this training annually and review its training procedures on traffic stops.
- Community outreach: The department should continue to use and expand community outreach programs. Active participation by citizens with the department will strengthen bonds and increase understanding.
MORE COVERAGE
- Demarcus Semer shooting: Grand jury won't indict Fort Pierce police officers
- Ministers to Fort Pierce community: Violence is not the answer
- Fort Pierce reacts to grand jury decision in Demarcus Semer killing
- Grand jury recommends changes after Fort Pierce police-involved fatal shooting
- No indictment for Fort Pierce officers involved in fatal shooting of Demarcus Semer
- Motorist killed by Fort Pierce Police officer
- 2 Fort Pierce officers fired weapons in Saturday night fatal shooting
- Fort Pierce police officers involved in fatal shooting placed on administrative leave
- Fort Pierce officers in fatal shooting won’t be identified until investigation over
- Fort Pierce police release names of officers involved in shooting death of Demarcus Semer
- Records for officers involved in Fort Pierce shooting show commendations, few infractions
- Semer played football for Central, signed with Illinois college
- Some in Fort Pierce want more answers about police-involved fatal shooting
- Fort Pierce will not seek Justice Department intervention in police shooting
- At NAACP town hall, community members discuss police-involved fatal shooting
- Fort Pierce Commission to send shooting case to Justice Department
- St. Lucie County sheriff, state attorney continue investigating Fort Pierce police-involved shooting
- Analysis: Anonymity of officers involved in fatal Fort Pierce shooting could be justified, experts say
- Justice Department responds to Fort Pierce request to investigate April 23 police-involved shooting
- Fort Pierce Police chief seeks help from Department of Justice to reform department
- Federal intervention could help Fort Pierce Police as it did in Las Vegas
- Grand jury could get Fort Pierce officer-involved shooting case by October
COLUMNS
- Anthony Westbury: Fort Pierce police shooting prompts plenty of questions
- Anthony Westbury: Is Fort Pierce a powder keg after Saturday shooting?
- Editorial: Fort Pierce must hand over shooting investigation to state or feds
- Editorial: Here’s the first question investigators must answer about shooting of Demarcus Semer
- Anthony Westbury: Is Fort Pierce police chief safe in her job?
- Editorial: Decisions coming soon in police shooting of Demarcus Semer
PHOTOS
- St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office investigates shooting death of Demarcus Semer
- Fort Pierce commission meeting, protests following fatal police shooting
- NAACP town hall in Fort Pierce following Demarcus Semer police shooting
