First Responder

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First responder

In this paper, the role of the first responder will be discussed and how they relate to the Miranda rights. The case study that I would like to use is robbery incident that happened on the highway. As a family was traveling, they noticed a car that was following for some time. They noticed that the car was not in a hurry to overtake and that is when they started feeling that they were in trouble. As they continued with their journey they noticed that the cars were now two and one of them went ahead of their car. They first thought of the best way that they could use to ensure they get rid of the people before they get robbed. Quickly they dialed the police emergency number and alerted the police that they were begin followed by two cars. The police responded fast and within the no time, they could also see police cars following them. At this point, the suspects ordered them to stop and even threatened to fire bullets at their car. They had to stop and the police also had to keep their distance so that they do not provoke the suspects to harm the family. As all these were happening, the police had already alerted another squad to appear from the front as they stayed vigilant at the back.

The situation was handled well by the police and within no time, the robbers who were now taking off after taking valuables from the family were apprehended. The first responder informed the suspects that they were the police and that they needed to surrender or else they would be forced to shoot. The suspects stayed stubborn for sometime after which they accepted to stop. They apprehend and taken into custody to face charges of robbery. The crime was handled well and the first responder had the skills required for any police to be able carry out such a duty. They did not go ahead to attack the suspects as this could result to injuries on the family. Once the suspects had surrendered and were willing to be arrested, the police informed them that they had the right to remain silent or anything they say would be used against them in a court of law. This is statement that was necessary since they had already informed the suspects that they are police. The suspects had information that they were being arrested by police and that their Miranda rights would be respected. When the case was mentioned, they were told that they had the right to be represented in court by an attorney or in any case they were not able to afford the services of an attorney, they would be provided with one.

The case was handled well and when the sentence was made, every right of the suspects was taken into consideration. It is a problem that many people have been facing. They do not follow the Miranda rights when carrying out arrests. In most cases, the rights are followed once the suspects have been taken to court. If I was the first responding officer to the crime scene, I would first inform the suspects that I am a police officer and that they should stop for a routine check-up. If they stop, I would then inform them that they were under suspicion and therefore under arrest and anything that they would say would be used against them in a court of law. If they refuse to stop, I would request for back up to help track them down until they are arrested. Even then, I will still have to inform them of their rights to remain silent since they are under arrest.

References

Coldrey, J. (1990). "The Right to Silence Reassessed". 74 Victorian Bar News 25.

 Cicchini, Michael D. (2012). "The New Miranda Warning". SMU Law Review. 65 (4): 913–915. Retrieved January 25, 2019.

Gregory Declue, Oral Miranda warnings: A checklist and a model presentation, The Journal of Psychiatry & Law (2007) at 421.