5-07/320.00 - Civil Lawsuits Originated by Employees

Whenever an employee contemplates filing a civil action as the result of an incident which occurred while on duty or while performing his official duties, certain preliminary steps must be observed.

Before any action is filed, the employee shall prepare a report of the circumstances on an SH-AD-32A.  The report is to be addressed to the Sheriff, through channels, and an original and two copies are to be given to the employee's Unit Commander.

The employee's Unit Commander shall be responsible for the following in the event the above report is submitted prior to filing:

• Preparing a report on an Office Correspondence (SH‑AD‑32A) which shall include an objective evaluation of all circumstances concerning the incident;
• Combining the original employee's report, the Unit Commander's original report and all other Department reports and circumstances regarding the incident and forwarding same to the Sheriff, through channels;
• Sending copies of the above reports and all subsequent reports to the Office of the County Counsel; and
• Filing one copy of each report in the Unit file.