Force Investigations Unit brings unbiased perspective to complex situations
Feb. 27, 2023
When a law enforcement officer uses force, the aftermath is chaotic. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) created the Force Investigations Unit (FIU) to help communities and law enforcement make sense of what happened.
Local agencies call in the FIU for a fair and unbiased investigation of the incident. By being that independent third party, we can ensure everyone – both in law enforcement and in the community – feels confident in the decisions being made.
The unit, formed after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of then-Officer Derek Chauvin, is one of the first of its kind in the nation. Our agents investigate use-of-force incidents, criminal sexual conduct cases involving officers, cases where both the alleged assailant and victim are members of the Minnesota National Guard, and cases where there is a conflict of interest for the local law enforcement agency.
“The independent investigation, where we present those facts in a complete manner, is critically important to build trust with the communities our police agencies serve across Minnesota and the United States," said BCA Superintendent Drew Evans.
A thorough investigation of force incidents gives the community a better understanding of what happened and why, which is critical in building that trust.
The agents know that when they get on scene, they are meeting people who were involved in a life-changing event. Their first goal is to identify themselves, explaining who they are, why there're there and what people can expect throughout the process.
The FIU investigators collect evidence, gather statements, take down names and snap photos, while the BCA's crime scene team comes out to process the scene. They gather the facts, including any video from body or squad cameras, and conduct interviews, talking to anyone who may have seen something or may have information on the incident.
The BCA does not determine whether an officer's use-of-force was justified, or whether an officer broke the law; it conducts a criminal investigation to determine the facts of the incident. The investigations are long, but they are long for good reason. Our agents are thorough, taking the responsibility of the investigation very seriously.
After the investigation is complete, agents then provide that information to a prosecutor (usually a county attorney) without making a recommendation on whether charges are warranted. The prosecutor reviews the case under the law and determines whether to file charges.
After the case goes through the court system and is complete, the evidence is made public. First, the BCA provides information from the case file to the people involved in the incident – or, if they are deceased, to their family – then
we post it on our website.
To hear from the Force Investigations Unit in their own words, watch this video. You can find more information on the unit on our
website.
